photo from
If you've seen the news, you may have heard about the 35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis last night. We are ok. My SO was on that bridge about an hour before it collapsed...I'm so glad he didn't stay at work late last night.
I watched a bit of CNN and realized they were getting many of the facts wrong. For the most accurate coverage, check out our local newspaper online - Star Tribune.
It's scary. Surreal. Watching the news, I've had to continually remind myself that this happened here.
35W is a main artery of the Twin Cities. I take that highway all the time, and I've never felt unsafe. Perhaps there was a reason I didn't get that job a couple of weeks ago - I would have had to have taken that highway to get there. I'm sure it will be years before it's back up.
It's nearly impossible to get around this city without crossing a bridge - pretty disturbing to think that one just might collapse at any given moment.
I feel so bad for the people who went through that experience, and are still going through it today, waiting for news about their loved ones. It breaks my heart.
The mood today is very somber. You could hear a pin drop in my office building. Everyone was silently poring over the newspaper on the bus this morning. I think we are all in a state of mild shock.
Twin Cities-ites, please check in! I want to know that you are all ok.
August 2nd, 2007 at 02:06 pm 1186063560
August 2nd, 2007 at 02:09 pm 1186063763
Me and mine are OK too. I was at a concert at First Ave. last night and they cut the video feed of the show and started showing something weird on Kare 11 instead. We nudged each other but couldn't figure out what it was--a bridge collapsed from an earthquake somewhere? Archival footage the rapper had requested? Then at the end of the set, one of the performers said one of the headliners wouldn't be coming on--the 35W bridge had collapsed and his deejay's girlfriend had been on that schoolbus full of kids that was on the bridge. Luckily, I don't think anyone on the schoolbus was killed. I've heard from someone whose husband was driving over the bridge 3 minutes before and saw it collapse in his rearview mirror--it was stop-and-go traffic, so he hadn't gotten very far away at all.
Glad to hear you're OK. It really is surreal, coming out of the blue like that, no storm, no clear reason why it happened.
CJ
August 2nd, 2007 at 02:37 pm 1186065442
August 2nd, 2007 at 02:49 pm 1186066189
August 2nd, 2007 at 02:53 pm 1186066393
Sending prayers to all!
August 2nd, 2007 at 03:37 pm 1186069023
August 2nd, 2007 at 03:51 pm 1186069919
Hope to hear from LittleGopher too...
Thanks, everyone. I'm hoping to get some photos of it today (from a distance).
I think the most disturbing part is that there was no big event to explain it (like an earthquake).
August 2nd, 2007 at 05:40 pm 1186076422
August 2nd, 2007 at 06:07 pm 1186078060
Laura
August 2nd, 2007 at 07:51 pm 1186084260
August 3rd, 2007 at 12:13 am 1186100024
August 3rd, 2007 at 12:50 am 1186102234
My husband too had been on the bridge earlier in the afternoon - he criss-crosses the Cities several times daily for work. It's so tragic, and unbelievable really, but the response, both locally and further, has been very heartening. I feel so bad for the families still waiting news - hopefully the recovery can start soon.
I'm glad you're ok - take care...
August 3rd, 2007 at 03:00 am 1186110032
August 3rd, 2007 at 04:18 pm 1186157911
LittleGopher - I'm glad you and your family are ok!!
They are still trying to move ahead with the recovery effort...I feel so bad for those people who are waiting to hear about their missing loved ones.
August 3rd, 2007 at 11:12 pm 1186182739
I have always been a little queasy on bridges and this is why! I hope that repairs and replacements will be more timely now.
August 10th, 2007 at 03:24 am 1186716273