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A look back: The I-35W bridge collapse

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Betsy Sathers had been married to husband Scott for just 10 months whe...

  • Betsy Sathers: Adopted twins after husband died

    Publish July 29, 2012 2:00 AM / Update July 28, 2012 7:15 PM

    "I can't understand everything they've been through," Sathers said as the children, now 4 1/2, rolled balls of Play-Doh on their dining room table in Blaine last week. "I can just be there for them."

    After losing her husband in the bridge collapse, though, she understands the toll that trauma can take.

    )

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Lindsay (Petterson) Walz

  • Lindsay (Petterson) Walz: On a mission

    Publish July 29, 2012 2:00 AM / Update July 28, 2012 8:44 PM

    Walz's Volkswagen Passat plunged into the river. The car quickly filled with water, and Walz, 29, still isn't sure how she escaped. She suffered a broken back and other injuries.

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The Coulter family, Savage, including Paula (second from left)), Brad...

  • Coulter family: Progress, often in small steps

    Publish July 29, 2012 2:00 AM / Update July 28, 2012 9:12 PM

    The family's minivan flipped and landed on its roof on the east bank of the river. All four were hospitalized. Brad, now 48, Brianna, 23, and Brandi, 22, went home in less than a week wearing back braces. Paula, 48, stayed for more than two months. Doctors warned that she might be brain-damaged and disabled for life.

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Helen Hausmann’s husband, Peter, was killed when the 35W bridge collap...

  • Hausmann family: Peter remains their role model

    Publish July 29, 2012 2:00 AM / Update July 28, 2012 9:13 PM

    Peter Hausmann, 47, died in the collapse. His car fell into the water. Authorities found his body eight days later. They told the family that he was half inside another car, and it looked like he was trying to rescue someone. He is survived by his wife, Helen, now 45, and children Justina, 21; Andrew, 19; David, 14; Theresa, 12.

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35W bridge collapse survivor Garrtt Ebling played with toy cars and tr...

  • Garrett Ebling: 'Emotionally, I'm stuck'

    Publish July 29, 2012 2:00 AM / Update July 28, 2012 10:45 PM

    Ebling's car landed on its front end, partly in the water. His seat belt severed his colon, requiring immediate surgery. Ebling, 37, had a collapsed lung and a ruptured diaphragm. He broke both feet, his left arm and bones all over his face.

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Demaris Montoya, 18, was among the survivors on a school bus that was...

Memorial drawing

Jeremy Hernandez

Jeremy Hernandez

  • 35W beam failed first, lawyer says

    Article By: JIM FOTI , Star Tribune Publish March 26, 2009 2:00 AM / Update March 26, 2009 12:06 AM

    Engineers hired by attorneys for 117 survivors and relatives of victims in the bridge disaster disagree with the NTSB and say the collapse was preventable.

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Two years after the I-35W bridge collapse

Touring Oakdale warehouse.

The Coulter family with attorney Chris Messerly

  • NTSB's final bridge report due today

    Article By: KEVIN DIAZ , Star Tribune Publish November 14, 2008 2:00 AM / Update November 14, 2008 7:37 AM

    The I-35W bridge's fatal flaw: Gusset plates, but other factors were cited in the collapse. The final report on the Aug. 1, 2007, catastrophe will be released after today's hearing.

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Bent gusset plates in 2003

  • NTSB bridge findings already criticized

    Article By: JIM FOTI , Star Tribune Publish October 27, 2008 2:00 AM / Update October 27, 2008 2:02 PM

    Rep. Jim Oberstar and lawyers representing victims of the I-35W bridge disaster decry the investigators' conclusions about the cause of the collapse and leaks of information.

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Bridge memorial

  • Coming together to remember

    Article By: CURT BROWN and JIM FOTI , Star Tribune Publish August 1, 2008 2:00 AM / Update August 1, 2008 11:33 PM

    With the sound of rushing Mississippi River water and mournful bagpipes in the background, several hundred people snaked onto the Stone Arch Bridge on Friday evening to commemorate the first anniversary of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse.

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At Lake Street and 13th Ave.

Waiting for rescue

35W bridge collapse

  • Our bridges: To do nothing will cost more

    Article By: EMILY KAISER , Star Tribune Publish August 1, 2008 2:00 AM / Update July 31, 2008 11:54 PM

    While Congress responded quickly to help rebuild the 35W bridge, it has yet to find the answers -- or the $140 billion needed to make repairs and upgrades nationwide -- to address the problem of an aging infrastructure laid bare by the collapse of the 40-year-old span.

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Corrosion in gusset plate

Bridge ribbon

The new I-35W bridge

The new I-35W bridge

Scott Lloyd Anderson

130-ton section swung into place.

Bridge work

  • Linking more than the bridge

    Article By: PAMELA MILLER , Star Tribune Publish May 26, 2008 2:00 AM / Update May 26, 2008 7:26 AM

    A crowd gathered to watch the new 1-35W bridge take shape over the open water, a sight that evoked awe and pride, sorrow and hope.

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Paula Coulter, Gov. Tim Pawlenty

  • Pawlenty signs compensation package for bridge victims

    Publish May 8, 2008 2:00 AM / Update May 8, 2008 11:57 PM

    A close-knit coalition of Minneapolis bridge collapse victims watched Thursday as Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed a $38 million package to compensate them for their injuries and losses. The ceremony at the State Capitol capped their nine-month fight for state help recovering from the Aug. 1 failure of the Interstate 35W bridge, which killed 13 people and injured 145.

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Bridge segment on the move.

  • Look out: Bridge on the move

    Article By: JIM FOTI , Star Tribune Publish May 3, 2008 2:00 AM / Update May 25, 2008 11:20 PM

    The first of 120 precast hunks of the new I-35W bridge was moved to the Mississippi River. Can you guess how much it weighs?

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Rep. Jim Oberstar

Award ceremony

Matthew Miller

  • Bridge hero to get national award

    Article By: KEVIN DIAZ , Star Tribune Publish March 25, 2008 2:00 AM / Update March 24, 2008 7:20 PM

    Matthew Miller is one of three people to win the first Above & Beyond Citizen Honors, bestowed by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. It will be presented at Arlington National Cemetery.

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Survivors of 35W bridge collapse.

Jeff Ringate works on new bridge.

I-35W staircase

Julie Graves

Hwy. 61 bridge at Hastings

Inspecting the wreckage

New I-35W bridge

  • NTSB: More time needed for probe of bridge collapse

    Publish October 24, 2007 2:00 AM / Update October 23, 2007 11:23 PM

    The National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday that its on-scene investigation of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse is expected to continue through late November. Earlier, the agency said its field work would likely end by the start of November.

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  • Roadguy: 35W bridge questions? This guy has the answers

    Article By: JIM FOTI , Star Tribune Publish October 14, 2007 2:00 AM / Update October 13, 2007 5:48 PM

    Roadguy is leery of anything labeled "frequently asked questions," but this past week, he kept hearing the same questions and bits of confusion about the new Interstate 35W bridge. Below are some attempts to clear things up so that you, too, can be as bridge-savvy as possible (if you aren't already, of course).

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  • A survivor's letter

    Publish October 12, 2007 2:00 AM / Update October 11, 2007 7:48 PM

    Here is the text of the letter that bridge collapse survivor Kimberly Brown sent to members of the state Senate on Thursday.

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New I-35W bridge design.

New I-35W bridge design.

New I-35W bridge design.

  • Law firm sues MnDOT for access to bridge info

    Publish October 6, 2007 2:00 AM / Update October 5, 2007 9:06 PM

    A law firm representing victims of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse has sued the Minnesota Department of Transportation, claiming the agency is withholding key information and giving it only to a company hired by the state to investigate the tragedy.

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  • Were savvy bridge firms duped or outsmarted?

    Article By: MIKE KASZUBA , Star Tribune Publish October 4, 2007 2:00 AM / Update October 3, 2007 10:14 PM

    MnDOT says that all bidders to rebuild the bridge had the same information and that nothing was hidden. But the firms that lost out have won many other state road contracts and can't fathom how this one got away from them.

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Transportation Commissioner Carol Molnau

  • How to help and get help

    Publish October 2, 2007 2:00 AM / Update October 1, 2007 8:53 PM

    Bridge survivors and families of victims needing assistance in the metro area should call 211 from a land line or 651-291-0211 from a cell phone. Outside the metro area, dial 1-800-543-7709. Ask for Bonnie.

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  • Wisconsin to start experiment with bridge-failure sensors

    Article By: MIKE KASZUBA and JAKE SHERMAN , Star Tribune staff writers Publish September 28, 2007 2:00 AM / Update September 27, 2007 9:57 PM

    In the days following the Interstate 35W bridge collapse, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle ordered that 14 bridges of similar design in his state be fitted with special sensors, known as strain gauges, that can detect unusual movement. Installation will begin in October.

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Transportation Commissioner Carol Molnau

Santiago Calatrava

Amy Lindholm

  • I-35W Bridge Collapse: The Aftershocks

    Article By: PAM LOUWAGIE , Star Tribune Publish September 23, 2007 2:00 AM / Update September 22, 2007 6:56 PM

    Some survivors of the I-35W bridge collapse who were relatively unscathed physically are discovering they bear deep emotional scars. Some are reaching out to each other as they struggle to return to their old routines.

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Two days after the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed, a workman peered over the Mississippi River to examine an area of destruction. Thirteen people died in the Aug. 1 disaster.

  • Wednesday: Colorado firm wins I-35W bridge contract

    Article By: MIKE KASZUBA and JIM FOTI , Star Tribune Publish September 20, 2007 2:00 AM / Update September 20, 2007 4:28 PM

    Flatiron Construction's proposal was the most expensive choice, but MnDOT rated it highest. Meanwhile, some officials aren't happy that the state is moving ahead so quickly.

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  • Bridge Open House Today

    Publish September 11, 2007 2:00 AM / Update September 10, 2007 10:57 PM

    What: Representatives from the Minnesota Department of Transportation and Metro Transit will be on hand to answer questions about the new bridge and take comments from the public.

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This photo released by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, taken on July 11, 2007, shows a hole near a concrete support of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis.

  • 10th Av. Bridge reopens to traffic

    Article By: RANDY FURST , Star Tribune Publish / Update August 31, 2007 1:26 PM

    The 10th Av. bridge was open for the first time today with one lane in each direction of vehicle traffic and a wide pedestrian walkway to make possible the best public view of the downed bridge which fell into the Mississippi River.

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  • 10th Avenue Bridge reopening detailed

    Publish August 30, 2007 2:00 AM / Update August 29, 2007 8:44 PM

    The city of Minneapolis on Wednesday got a bit more specific about Friday's reopening of the 10th Avenue Bridge: It'll happen sometime between the morning and afternoon rush hours.

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  • 35W bridge teams get a few extra days

    Publish August 29, 2007 2:00 AM / Update August 29, 2007 4:10 PM

    Construction teams vying for the contract to design and build the new Interstate 35W bridge will get a few extra days to put their proposals together. State transportation officials altered the timeline after changing the scope of the project with respect to rail lines around the site.

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A dump truck deposited a load of gravel into the Mississippi River on Friday as workers constructed a causeway at the site of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse. The causeway will extend most of the way across the river and will make it easier for heavy equipment to get to the sections of the bridge that are in the water. Downtown Minneapolis is in the background at left.

Cranes and other heavy equipment machinery began the arduous task of removing metal and cement materials on Wednesday from the Interstate 35W bridge site at the Mississippi River.

Julie Graves

  • City seeks unity in designing bridge

    Article By: ROCHELLE OLSON and JIM FOTI , Star Tribune s t aff w r iters Publish August 17, 2007 2:00 AM / Update August 16, 2007 10:48 PM

    Minneapolis City Council moving to send message of cooperation with state. It plans to adopt principles today.

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  • State wins federal traffic grant

    Article By: LAURIE BLAKE , Star Tribune Publish August 15, 2007 2:00 AM / Update August 14, 2007 3:44 PM

    Minnesota has won a $133 million federal grant to open toll transit lanes on Interstate Hwy. 35W from Minneapolis to Lakeville, as well as reconfigure some downtown Minneapolis streets for better bus service, Mayor R.T. Rybak said Tuesday.

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  • Sketchy plan has 10 lanes, fast timeline

    Article By: ROCHELLE OLSON and CURT BROWN , Star Tribune Publish August 15, 2007 2:00 AM / Update August 15, 2007 12:36 AM

    During three hours of questioning, MnDOT officials said adding light rail to the new bridge poses an expensive and problematic twist.

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  • Inside the tent city

    Article By: DAVID CHANEN , Star Tribune Publish August 14, 2007 2:00 AM / Update August 13, 2007 10:45 PM

    In the days after the collapse, police juggled duties and direction from a makeshift command post along the river. Today, the set-up is getting more permanent.

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  • Road work to divert I-35W bridge traffic is ahead of schedule

    Publish August 13, 2007 2:00 AM / Update August 12, 2007 9:06 PM

    Emergency road construction to divert traffic from the collapsed I-35W bridge in Minneapolis is ahead of schedule, with the Minnesota Department of Transportation reopening the northbound ramps to Hwy. 280 from Interstate 94 at 6 p.m. Sunday instead of this morning, as had been expected.

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JERRY HOLT ¥jgholt@startribune.com 8/9/2007---Officials carry the body of victim up the embankment on the north side of the river around 12:30pm on Thursday. The body was taken of a boat and transported by the medical examiner. Bridge Collapse

JERRY HOLT ¥jgholt@startribune.com 8/9/2007---Officials carry the body of victim up the embankment on the north side of the river around 12:30pm on Thursday. The body was taken of a boat and transported by the medical examiner. Bridge Collapse

JERRY HOLT ¥jgholt@startribune.com 8/9/2007---Officials carry the body of victim up the embankment on the north side of the river around 12:30pm on Thursday. The body was taken of a boat and transported by the medical examiner. Bridge Collapse

  • Five teams OK'd to submit bridge bids

    Publish August 11, 2007 2:00 AM / Update August 10, 2007 12:48 PM

    All five contracting teams that submitted statements of qualifications to bid on the Interstate 35W bridge project were accepted to submit a proposal and cost estimate, the Minnesota Department of Transportation said Thursday.

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  • Burial open to public

    Publish August 11, 2007 2:00 AM / Update August 10, 2007 10:00 PM

    A public burial ceremony will follow private funeral services today for Sadiya Sahal and her daughter, Hana. Burial will take place at 1 p.m. at the Minnesota Islamic Cemetery in Burnsville. To get there, take Interstate 35W to Cliff Road. Go east on Cliff Road to Portland Avenue. Turn right on Portland and go to Hwy. 13. Turn right on Hwy. 13, and the cemetery should be in view.

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Jessie Shelton

JERRY HOLT ¥jgholt@startribune.com 8/9/2007---Officials carry the body of victim up the embankment on the north side of the river around 12:30pm on Thursday. The body was taken of a boat and transported by the medical examiner. Bridge Collapse

  • Kayaker found; no homeless perished

    Publish August 10, 2007 2:00 AM / Update August 10, 2007 12:27 AM

    A kayaker who was on the Mississippi River at the time of the I-35W collapse has contacted authorities, Minneapolis police said Thursday. Investigators had asked for the media's help in finding him because they wanted to interview him.

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Friends and family gathered to bid farewell with balloons to bridge collapse victim Sherry Engebretsen at Incarnation Lutheran Church in Shoreview, Minn.

  • 88 vehicles at collapse site to remain in place

    Article By: JIM FOTI , Star Tribune Publish / Update August 8, 2007 3:40 PM

    Authorities have mapped 88 vehicles at the scene of the bridge collapse, State Patrol Maj. Mike Asleson said this morning. The vehicle count includes trailers and pieces of construction equipment, and authorities expect the count to go up as the investigation continues.

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Friends and family gathered to bid farewell with balloons to bridge collapse victim Sherry Engebretsen at Incarnation Lutheran Church in Shoreview, Minn.

Signs of comfort

  • Ten-lane span with '08 finish is the plan

    Article By: ROCHELLE OLSON and CURT BROWN , Star Tribune staff writers Publish August 8, 2007 2:00 AM / Update August 7, 2007 11:28 PM

    As divers struggled with the river, politicians sounded optimistic about moving quickly to design a replacement.

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Richard Tsong-Taatarii/rtsong-taatarii@startribune.com Minneapolis, MN:8/6/07;left to right: Investigators examined vehicles on the collapsed North end of the 35W bridge span near SE 8th Avenue and 2nd St. GENERAL INFORMATION: Authorities have opened areas around the 35W bridge.

Investigation continues

President George Bush, Gary Babineau

  • Bills to rebuild bridge get OK

    Article By: KEVIN DIAZ , Star Tribune Publish August 4, 2007 2:00 AM / Update August 4, 2007 4:08 PM

    Congress is expected to give final approval today to $250 million to rebuild the fallen Interstate 35W bridge. "We are all united as one," said Rep. Jim Oberstar.

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This view of the I-35W bridge collapse is from the south side; the overpass in the background is University Avenue SE.

  • Fuse lit on bridge debate

    Article By: KEVIN DIAZ, JAKE SHERMAN, DAVID SHAFFER and DAN BROWNING , Star Tribune Publish August 3, 2007 2:00 AM / Update August 3, 2007 9:21 AM

    WASHINGTON - The collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis is igniting politically charged calls for a remedy to the nation's aging road infrastructure, including tens of thousands of substandard bridges.

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  • Bush to tour scene of bridge collapse

    Publish August 3, 2007 2:00 AM / Update November 27, 2007 3:52 PM

    President George W. Bush will visit Minneapolis on Saturday to inspect bridge collapse damage and confer with local and federal officials, according to White House spokesman Alex Conant. No details of Bush's schedule were immediately available Thursday afternoon.

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  • Bush to tour scene of bridge collapse

    Publish August 3, 2007 2:00 AM / Update November 27, 2007 3:52 PM

    President George W. Bush will visit Minneapolis on Saturday to inspect bridge collapse damage and confer with local and federal officials, according to White House spokesman Alex Conant. No details of Bush's schedule were immediately available Thursday afternoon.

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  • Kids on crashed bus reunited with families

    Article By: HER, OACUTE;N M and AACUTE;RQUEZ ESTRADA , Star Tribune Publish / Update August 2, 2007 9:35 AM

    All 60 children riding on a school bus that crashed on the bridge have been reunited with their families, according to the American Red Cross.

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  • 59 on school bus survive plunge

    Article By: CLAUDE PECK , Star Tribune Publish August 2, 2007 2:00 AM / Update August 2, 2007 12:53 PM

    It stuck out in the first video images from the freeway bridge collapse: a bright yellow school bus, sitting on the concrete deck, slightly tilted to one side perhaps, but more or less upright amid the wreckage.

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  • Number for families to call

    Publish August 2, 2007 2:00 AM / Update August 2, 2007 3:55 AM

    The Minneapolis Red Cross has released a hot line number for concerned family members to call regarding the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge.

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Artemio Trinidad-Mena

  • Text of Sen. Coleman's remarks on bridge collapse

    Publish / Update August 2, 2007 1:06 PM

    "Yesterday was a day of horror for the city of Minneapolis and for the state of Minnesota. There will be many difficult days ahead as we begin to go through the recovery process. So I hope that we continue to hold those who have suffered loss from this horrific tragedy in our prayers. . . ."

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A rescue worker enters a car in the water to search for a victim after the collapse.

more from investigators

Continuing series: Frac Sand Fever

The Day-Care Threat

The Vanishing Prairie series

Thirteen people died and hundreds of lives were changed the day the I-35W bridge fell. Hear the many stories of survival as part of our interactive presentation that shows where the cars were and who was in them.

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