Tuesday marks 16 years since collapse of I-35W bridge

(KSTP) – Tuesday marks the anniversary of the Aug. 1, 2007, I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis that left 13 people dead and another 145 people injured.

A new bridge opened more than a year later on Sept. 18, 2008. A memorial was also created near where the bridge previously stood.

Steel from the collapsed bridge is at the engineering building at the University of St. Thomas. Students will be able to see it on the way to class so it can serve as a reminder that engineers often have people’s lives in their hands.

The building housing the university’s engineering school is scheduled to open next spring.

The National Transportation Safety Board blamed the bridge’s collapse on gusset plates that were half as thick as they should have been due to a flaw in the original design.

The main piece of steel responsible for the entire collapse is owned and stored by the Minnesota Historical Society.