12 Years After 35W Bridge Collapse, Progress Still Being Made On State's Aging Bridges

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Thursday marks 12 years since the 35W bridge collapsed in downtown Minneapolis. The eight-lane interstate bridge came down during the height of the evening rush hour on August 1st, 2007.

Thirteen people died, and 145 were injured.

The bridge, built in the '60s, came down because of a design defect. The NTSB said gusset plates that held beams together were only half as thick as they should have been.

The replacement bridge was finished just 14 months after the tragedy.

The 2007 bridge collapse raised attention about our nation's aging infrastructure. In 2008, the state identified 172 bridges that needed repairs or total replacements. A report from January 2019 shows 128 bridges are now complete, five more than last year.

A total of 104 are new, and 24 are rehabilitated; eight are under construction, and 33 only need routine maintenance. Two are privately owned. One of the bridges identified under this program was closed.