Bridge Resources
The Minnesota Historical Society has located resources in its collections that relate to the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi in Minneapolis.
These are historical documents created before or during construction. For official information about the bridge as it existed prior to the collapse, please contact the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Film Footage
Archival Footage of the I-35W bridge under construction in 1967 from the Minnesota Deptartment of Transportation records.
Photographs
Archival photographs from the Minnesota Highway Department
Newspaper Articles
- The Minneapolis Star, November 17, 1964 (PDF - 3 MB)
- The Minneapolis Star, July 5, 1966 (PDF - 1.5 MB)
Bridge Plans
Selections from the plans for Bridge 9340 from the files of the Minnesota Dept. of Transportation, Bridge Division:
- "General Plan and Elevation," 1965 (sheet 1 of 94)
- "Deck Details at Piers and Abutments" showing detail of a roller, 1965 (sheet 4 of 94)
- "Deck Truss Spans, Floor Truss Details" including the gussets, 1965 (sheet 24 of 94)
- "Bridge Survey, Contracted Profile" showing the channel beneath the water, 1965 (sheet 86 of 94)
The plans document the construction (1964-1965) and repair (1977) of Minneapolis' Bridge No. 9340 (the I-35W bridge).
Another set of plans document the construction (1962-1965) and repair (1974-1975) of Saint Paul's Bridge No. 9800 (the Lafayette Road bridge).
Both sets of plans show various aspects of the bridges' construction, including piers, elevations, abutments, scales, drainage, decks, structural steel framing, splices, electrical, railings, expansion joints, trusses, spans, and bearings.
An inventory of both sets of plans is available online or in the MHS Library.
Other Links
- Minnesota's Historic Bridges
- Science Buzz at the Science Museum of Minnesota
- City of Minneapolis I-35W Bridge collapse information
- Resources on Minnesota Issues at the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library