Rangers describe bridge collapse scene this afternoon

By Steve Brandt, Star Tribune

Last update: August 7, 2007 - 4:22 PM

National Park Service rangers will be on the Stone Arch Bridge this afternoon to answer questions about the stretch of river in which the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed.

Rangers David Wiggins and John Anfinson will be on the bridge until 5 p.m. to discuss the natural and historic context of the district.

The 35W bridge spanned a stretch of river that has been remade repeatedly by human activity. Several bridges that once spanned the river nearby have been removed. Islands were quarried and then removed to make barge shipping easier.

The 1967 35W bridge was the last new river crossing to be built in Minneapolis, although some spans have been replaced at other sites since then.