Lesson Plan: The Minneapolis Bridge Collapse
Grades 9-12
On Aug. 1, 2007, the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed into the Mississippi River during rush hour. Thirteen people were killed. The collapse led to a search for the cause and highlighted the need for bridge inspections and repairs.
An investigation revealed that the bridge had been rated in poor condition for 17 years. The Minnesota Department of Transportation was found to be underfunded, limited in how many infrastructure projects they could finish in a given year. The collapse highlighted tensions at different levels of government on whether to spend money on new infrastructure projects or to put money into maintenance and repairs.
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