I-35W Saint Anthony Falls Bridge

Saint Anthony Falls Bridge
Opening day, September 18, 2008, from south end.
Coordinates	44°58′44″N 93°14′42″W / 44.97889°N 93.24500°W / 44.97889; -93.24500Coordinates: 44°58′44″N 93°14′42″W / 44.97889°N 93.24500°W / 44.97889; -93.24500
Carries	10 Lanes of I-35W; light-rail or bus-way-ready
Crosses	Saint Anthony Falls/Mississippi River
Locale	Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Official name	I-35W Saint Anthony Falls Bridge
Maintained by	Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT)
ID number	NBI 27410 (Northbound), 27409 (Southbound)
Characteristics
Design	Post-Tensioned Precast Concrete box girder
Total length	1,216 feet (371 m)
Width	180 feet (55 m)
Height	120 feet (37 m))estimated
Longest span	504 feet (154 m)
Clearance below	70 feet (21 m)
History
Construction begin	October 30, 2007
Opened	September 18, 2008
Statistics
Daily traffic	141,000 (2005 estimates)

The I-35W Saint Anthony Falls Bridge crosses the Saint Anthony Falls of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the U.S., carrying north-south traffic on Interstate Highway 35W. The ten-lane bridge replaced the I-35W Mississippi River bridge, which collapsed on August 1, 2007. It was planned and is maintained by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT). The planning, design, and construction processes were completed faster than normal because Interstate 35W is a critical artery for commuters and truck freight. The bridge opened September 18, 2008, well ahead of the original goal of December 24.

During the evening rush hour at 6:05 pm on August 1, 2007, the main spans of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis collapsed and fell into the river and onto its banks, killing 13 people and injuring 145. The bridge opened in 1967, and was expected to carry 66,000 vehicles per day. Though intended to last fifty years, it collapsed after forty.

Originally, the bridge was striped for two lanes in each direction. In 1988, the four shoulders were converted to traffic lanes, accommodating four lanes in each direction. This allowed an increase in traffic flow. By 2004, an estimated 141,000 vehicles crossed the bridge each day.

Within hours of the previous bridge's demise, politicians pledged to rebuild the bridge at an accelerated pace. Federal transportation officials pledged US$5 million for the cleanup and recovery.U.S. Representative Jim Oberstar, who represented Minnesota's 8th congressional district and chaired the House Transportation Committee, introduced an earmark to direct a minimum of $250 million to help replace the bridge; the bill passed the House unanimously on August 3 as Republican Senator Norm Coleman and Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Senator Amy Klobuchar introduced companion legislation in the Senate. President George W. Bush signed the legislation on August 6, 2007, after visiting the site on August 4. After months of wrangling with Congress over spending proposals, President Bush signed the spending bill that included funding for the bridge on December 26, 2007.