35W Bridge Collapses into Mississippi River – last update 9:15 AM Fri

Editor’s note: This report contains live updates  that began Wednesday evening, after the bridge collapsed, and continue today as more information becomes available.

[ANB] 3:10 p.m.Star Tribune reports that recovery divers have been pulled from the water because of fast river current, murky water and hazardous debris.

[REM] 3:22 p.m. More photos, this batch from Tom Elko, who works near the collapsed bridge.  Also, Senators Amy Klobuchar and Norm Coleman will be holding a joint press conference at 4 p.m. central to discuss raising the cap on Federal Highway relief efforts, currently at $100 million.  The senators will also discuss a new bill, the National Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2007, which they have co-sponsored and will push for full passage via senate today.

[REM] 4 p.m.  Minnesota Daily has an interview with a woman who worked at Hennepin County Medical Center last night.  The New York Times takes a look at the changes for the national GOP summer meeting that is currently happening in Minneapolis.  Also, Congressman Oberstar has finished his news conference, and we will have audio available shortly.

[REM] 4:15 p.m.  Audio of the Oberstarr press conference here.

[ANB] 4:24 p.m. In a press conference minutes ago, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak praised emergency services, saying that citywide camera systems, GPS systems in police and rescue vehicles, and FEMA training made for an incredible response. “We appreciate the tremendous outpouring. It has been greatly appreciated. But that also means we will need cooperation from you.” Authorities are asking citizens to look at various transportation options and encouraging businesses to look at ways to alleviate pressures on the system. Details of those plans are forthcoming. He confirmed four people have died.

[JKF] 4:42 p.m. The Science Museum of Minnesota has posted a website examining the bridge collapse and the issues surrounding it.  The site reports that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be drawing down water in the river to help facilitate recovery work.  The site notes, “The silver lining of our recent drought is that the Mississippi is flowing at only 15% of normal. That means the river is shallower than it would otherwise be, and the debris in the channel isn’t creating a massive dam.”

[ANB] 6:09 pm Authorities have downgraded the number of missing from 20 people to eight according to WCCO radio. The four people who died in yesterdays collapse have been identified. The Star Tribune has the details.

[ANB] 10:30 p.m. Gov. Pawlenty says special session on transportation on the table. “We will do anything and everything that it takes to make that happen, including the possibility of a special session,” Pawlenty told reporters in a news conference this afternoon according to the AP. “If it’s necessary, I’m very confident that the governor would call a special session and we would do what’s necessary to do,” Democratic Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller said.

[ANB] 11:13 p.m. Minnesota Monitor’s Abdi Aynte reports on a family searching for their missing relative.

[ANB] 11:23 p.m. Star Tribune: “Structural deficiencies in the I-35W bridge were so serious that MnDOT last winter considered bolting steel plates to its supports to prevent cracking in fatigued metal.”

[JAB] 9:15 a.m:  Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) will try to waive the $100 million emergency funding cap to ensure that Minneapolis gets everything it needs.

Older Updates Inside

Related:Bridges, By The Numbers

Related:A Mediated View of the 35W Collapse

A section of 35W in downtown Minneapolis has collapsed into the Mississippi River, causing an unknown number of injuries.

According to media sources on the scene, emergency workers have not confirmed whether there have been any fatalities.  The Minnesota Department of Transportation website indicates that construction began on the bridge in May and was scheduled to be completed in September.

TV images indicate that a schoolbus and a tanker truck are both in the river, among a reported 30-50 other vehicles.  The bridge ran more than 50 feet above the river’s surface near the University of Minnesota.

Updates to be posted as warranted.

[JAB]  7:10 PM:  The Department of Transportation has not yet issued a statement on the incident.

[JAB]  7:35:  Noah Kunin of Blanked Out has an eye-witness account — he lives just next door to the bridge.

[JAB]  7:58:  The AP and CNN are confirming casualties — reports of as many as seven, but three confirmed at present.

[REM] 8:07: Congressman Oberstar released this statement:

“A bridge on Interstate 35-W near the University of Minnesota collapsed just two hours ago, dropping at least 8 cars and a truck in the water.  A school bus that just barely missed crashing into the water was damaged; students on board were bloodied and injured.  The crumpled wreckage of the bridge is on the east bank and in the water; the concrete roadway is in the river gorge.  It’s a 40 year old bridge.  This is a tragic occurrence and I make that observation in the midst of this consideration of the technical corrections [of SAFE-TEA-LU] as an indication of how important it is for us to continue our vigilance on the integrity and condition of the nation’s traveled roadways.”

[JAB] 8:41:  Statement from Daniel Wolter, spokesman for the University of Minnesota:

“University of Minnesota police and emergency management personnel are actively supporting the recovery efforts surrounding the I-35W bridge collapse. The safety and well being of those affected by this tragedy is of paramount concern to the University community and we will continue to monitor the situation and provide appropriate support to our local, state and federal agency partners.”

[JAB] 9:00:  News conference with Minneapolis R.T. Rybak and Governor Tim Pawlenty coming up soon.  We are expecting an eye-witness report along with photos from the scene at some point soon.

[JKF] 9:06 The University of Minnesota is announcing that parents picking up students from Freshman Orientation at Coffman Union this evening should park in the Oak Street Ramp (401 Oak Street SE).  and meet their students at Centennial Hall.  Exit at Huron Blvd. off of Interstate 94.  For questions, call 612-624-0666.

[JAB] 9:12:  Pawlenty on the phone, outlining information on the bridge, on rescue and recovery efforts, prayers are with injured and their families.

[JAB] 9:35:  Senator Klobuchar on the phone with KSTP.  Short story — federal officials will be looking very closely at this incident in coming days.  Most important thing is to help survivors.

[PAS]  9:49: I arrived at the scene at around 6:55, approaching the buckled highway from the St. Anthony Main side. Clearly visible was a boxcar crushed by the heaved roadway. As we neared, a woman suppressing tears raced past, her cellphone to her ear. Police in Minneapolis and Maple Grove uniforms and other officers politely asked crowds — seemingly thousands — to back away as they expanded their perimeter with police tape.

I stopped to ask a resident of the Stone Arch Apartments, Mary Ferkingstad, how she learned of the collapse. “I was in my apartment and I felt the whole building shake. I thought it was an earthquake or a bomb,” she said. “I ran outside, saw the bridge collapse. I ran down to the river to see if I could help. I saw a bunch of cars trapped underneath the bridge. Police had just gotten there, trying to get to the people who are trapped under the bridge. I saw them start to pull out bodies, and there were a couple of chaplains that went down there to assist.”

Even as we left, hundreds — many with cellphones to their ears, digital cameras and movie cameras at their eyes — remained on the Stone Arch Bridge, watching the scene, half horrified, half fascinated, it seemed.

[JAB]  10:08:  Senator Coleman on phone with KSTP.  Overview of federal agencies that will be involved with the recovery and investigation:  whatever’s needed in terms of additional resources, no indication of terrorist activity, asked about infrastructure issues, Coleman calls it a “major concern.”  Full federal review as to the cause.

[JKF] 10:20 The American Red Cross of the Twin Cities is accepting blood and monetary donations to help with the aftermath of the bridge collapse.  More information is available through the Red Cross website, or by calling 612-460-3700.

[JKF] 10:22 Rep. Keith Ellison, DFL-Minn., who represents Minneapolis, spoke on the House floor about the bridge collapse:

We stand united in our heartfelt concern over the news of the collapse of the 35W bridge over the Mississippi River in my home town of Minneapolis, which occurred earlier this evening.  I’ve spoken to Mayor Rybak regarding this tragic situation, and I pledge to work with him in any possible way to recover from this disaster.

The full statement is available here.

[JKF] 10:46 Senators Norm Coleman, R-Minn., and Amy Klobuchar, DFL-Minn., have issued a joint statement on today’s bridge collapse:

“In light of today’s disaster, we send our thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families. This is a tragic day for the state, and must first focus on rescue and recovery.  The people of Minnesota should know we will devote the full resources of the government in any way possible,” said Coleman. “The Secretary of Transportation assured me that a thorough and complete forensic investigation will be conducted, which I hope will produce a definitive answer as to why this unbelievable disaster has occurred. We must ensure that a catastrophe like the one that happened today never occurs again.”

“This tragedy hits so close to home – in fact, within a mile of my family’s home,” said Klobuchar, a former Hennepin County Attorney and long-time Minneapolis resident.  “Our thoughts and prayers are with the many people affected by this evening’s shocking bridge collapse.  Most importantly, we are grateful to the many first responders who have moved so quickly to help the victims of this unfortunate accident,” said Klobuchar.  “On behalf of the entire Minnesota delegation, we are committed to working together to bring all available federal resources to bear in the wake of this tragedy.”

Full text available here.

[ANB] 10:52. Metro Transit has added 25 additional buses to the North metro to accommodate tomorrow morning’s commute.

[ANB] 11:00. Rep. Bachmann released a comment on the 35W bridge disaster:

I am deeply saddened by the tragic collapse of the Interstate 35W Bridge in Minnesota today and the resultant loss of life and injuries.

Marcus and I offer our profound condolences to the families and friends of those killed.

I know that this is a very difficult time for the residents of Minnesota, and I am grateful for the first responders and emergency personnel who are already on the scene.

Our Congressional delegation remains committed to ensuring that Minnesota receives the resources necessary for recovery, and I want to thank the House leadership – particularly Speaker Pelosi and Leader Boehner – for responding quickly and agreeing to lend their support.

I ask all Americans to join me in praying for those affected by this disaster.

[JKF] 11:12 The University of Minnesota campus will be open on August 2.  All classes and operations will go on as scheduled.  In a statement, Kathleen O’Brien, the vice president for student services, said, “After a thorough assessment of the impact of the bridge collapse, we’ve determined that campus is secure, safe and fully functional. Campus is accessible by a number of routes and we encourage students, faculty and staff to be cautious in their travel and mindful of delays.”

[ANB] 11:21 Star Tribune reports that 7 are confirmed dead, between 30 and 35 people are injured, and 20 are still missing.

[ANB] 12:09am E-Democracy has created a 35W wiki as a clearinghouse for information on the disaster.

[ANB] 12:11am Mayor Rybak on WCCO radio says MNDOT has video of the bridge collapse which is being reviewed by the response team. It will be released to public in the upcoming days.

[JKF] 12:23am The Minnesota Twins will postpone their scheduled Thursday matchup with the Kansas City Royals, as well as their planned Thursday groundbreaking for the new Twins stadium.

The Twins did complete Wednesday night’s game, partly because “not playing the game would have put 20-25,000 people back on the streets,” Twins president Dave St. Peter said in an interview with MLB.com.  The Twins were not immediately certain of whether their weekend series with Cleveland would be affected.

[ANB] 12:26am Star Tribune reporting 9 dead, 60 injured, 20 missing.

[JKF] 12:53am The Star Tribune is reporting that the bridge was “rated as ‘structurally deficient’ two years ago and possibly in need of replacement.”  The rating was given by the United States Department of Transportation. 

[ANB] 1:07am MN Department of Transportation has posted detour routes around the disaster area.

[ANB] 1:22am MNStories has video of the aftermath of the collapse.

[ANB] 1:32am John Week’s website has detailed specs and safety inspection information for the bridge. “A University of Minnesota Civil Engineer in a report to MN-DOT recently noted that this bridge is considered to be a non-redundant structure. That is, if any one member fails, the entire bridge can collapse. A key factor is that there are only four pylons holding up the arch. Any damage to any one pylon would be catastrophic.”

[PAS] 8:05am: Police have revised down the death toll. While the Star Tribune reported nine fatalities and the AP listed seven — both based on police estimates — Lt. Amelia Huffman of the Minneapolis Police Department said this morning that four people have been confirmed dead, although police expect that figure to rise as the day progresses.

[REM] 9:46am Congressman Oberstar has just released that he will introduce legislation today to direct at least $250 million to Minnesota to deal with bridge replacement.

After today’s mark up the Oberstar will attempt to bring the bill to the House Floor for passage today.  “I am hopeful we can get this to the Senate in time for them to pass it before the August recess begins,” said Oberstar.

[JKF] 10:15am White House Spokesperson Tony Snow insinuated the state of Minnesota would be responsible for the bridge collapse in a statement to the press, reported the Associated Press:

White House press secretary Tony Snow said the Interstate 35W span rated 50 on a scale of 120 for structural stability.

“This doesn’t mean there was a risk of failure, but if an inspection report identifies deficiencies, the state is responsible for taking corrective actions,” he said. The bridge was 40 years old.

[REM] 10:18am  Transportation Secretary Mary Peters has announced that the Federal Government will provide $5 million for rebuilding.  Live press conference can be seen here.
[REM] 10:30 a.m. Gov. Tim Pawlenty has just announced that the bridge was currently under inspection with results to be finished this September.  Also, there are numerous bridges at the same level or lower in Minnesota.  Pawlenty will be releasing those numbers today.  Only 3 percent of bridges fall into the lower two categories (structurally deficient or obsolete).  A glance at how many bridges that may include locally can be found here.

[REM] 11:30 a.m. Pawlenty has announced an inspection of the remaining Minnesota bridges will be under way shortly.

Also, President Bush’s statement on the tragedy can be found here.

[JKF] 11:58 am The magazine Popular Mechanics has issued an editorial stating that the I-35W collapse is just the tip of the iceberg:

It is not just roads and bridges that are being stressed to the breaking point. Two weeks ago New Yorkers were scrambling for cover after a giant plume of 200-degree steam and debris shot out of the street and into the air. The mayhem was caused by the explosion of a steam pipe, installed underground in 1924 to heat office buildings near Grand Central station. In January 2007, Kentuckians and Tennesseans woke up to the news that the water level of the largest man-made reservoir east of the Mississippi would have to be dropped by 10 ft. as an emergency measure. The Army Corps of Engineers feared that if it didn’t immediately reduce the pressure on the 57-year-old Wolf Creek Dam, it might fail, sending a wall of water downstream that would inundate communities all along the Cumberland River, including downtown Nashville.

The fact is that Americans have been squandering the infrastructure legacy bequeathed to us by earlier generations. Like the spoiled offspring of well-off parents, we behave as though we have no idea what is required to sustain the quality of our daily lives.

[REM] 1:06 p.m. MNDOT has released video of the collapse, which can be found here.

[REM] 2:17 p.m. City Pages has stated there are 71 other bridges in the metro area that are considered structurally deficient and with lower scores than the collapsed bridge in Minneapolis.  They have linked to a list of these bridges here.

[JAB] 2:20 p.m.:  Adding more fodder to the discussion of structurally deficient bridges in the area, MN2020′s Conrad DeFiebre identifies 451 as the number of “functionally obsolete” bridges in Minnesota.  That’s on top of the more than 1,000 “structurally deficient” bridges, including that which collapsed yesterday.

[JKF] 2:35 p.m. Sens. Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar will hold a joint press conference at 4 p.m. CDT to discuss issues related to the bridge collapse.  From a release by Klobuchar:

The press conference immediately follows the senators’ return from Minnesota where they assessed the damage from the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis with U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, National Transportation and Safety Board Chairman Rosenker, Governor Pawlenty, and Mayor R.T. Rybak. Senators Coleman and Klobuchar have introduced legislation in the Senate today to provide $250 million in funding to repair the bridge, as well as exempt recovery costs from beyond the $100 million cap for Federal Highway relief efforts. [...] Additionally, the Senators will discuss the National Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2007, legislation they have coauthored to create a national commission to address the deterioration of much of our nation’s infrastructure. The bill was approved by committee on Tuesday, and Coleman and Klobuchar are pressing for passage of this bill by the full Senate today.

[JAB] 2:45 p.m.:  Brief statement from Congressman Tim Walz, D-Minn.:  “I’d like to offer my condolences to anyone who lost a family member or friend in this tragic accident and my deepest gratitude for those who participated in the rescue and recovery efforts.  My thoughts and prayers are with the citizens of the Minneapolis – St. Paul area today.”

[JKF] 2:52 p.m. The Jewish Community Relations Council issued a statement supporting victims of the bridge collapse:

…We pray for the victims and the families of our sisters and brothers of our community injured and killed in the collapse on Wednesday of the I-35W bridge across the Mississippi River.  We are also grateful for the bravery of so many who assisted in the rescue of trapped motorists: bystanders, emergency responders, law enforcement, police, fire and all others who were well trained in preparation for this horrific event.

Temple Israel Synagogue, at 2324 Emerson Avenue South in Minneapolis, will hold an interfaith prayer service at 6:00 pm this evening, and its chapel will be open today and tomorrow for personal prayers and meditation.

[JKF] 2:58 p.m. CNN is reporting that the Senate campaigns of DFLers Al Franken and Michael Ciresi are suspending activities in response to the bridge collapse.  Franken has also evidently canceled a scheduled appearence this evening on “The Late Show with David Letterman.”