The Most Devastating Bridge Collapse Disasters in History
the recent catastrophic collapse of the
Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore
Maryland has reignited serious concerns
about the state of our infrastructure
and the potential for devastating Bridge
disasters this tragic event caused by a
container ship striking one of the
Bridge’s peers resulted in the loss of
life injuries and significant economic
consequences for the Port of Baltimore
as we reflect on This Disaster it’s also
important to examine the history of
bridge collapses and the lessons we can
learn from them to prevent future
tragedies vcation presents the most
devastating Bridge collapsed disasters
in
history Pon de barcas Portugal 1809 the
deadliest bridge collapse in history
occurred during the Peninsular War in
1809 as French Imperial forces attacked
the Portuguese city of Porto thousands
of civilians attempted to flee across
the pontadas barcas a pontoon bridge
made of 20 boats linked together with
steel cables the bridge overwhelmed by
the weight of the crowd collapsed into
the Doro River resulting in an estimated
4,000
deaths Great Yarmouth suspension bridge
England
1845 in 1845 a tragic bridge collapse in
Great Yarmouth England claimed the lives
of 79 people including 59 children the
incident occurred during a publicity
stunt for a circus as hundreds of
Spectators crowded onto the sus
suspension bridge to watch a clown ride
a wash tub drawn by geese the sudden
weight shift caused the Bridge’s chains
to snap and the deck fell into the river
below an investigation revealed an
imperfectly welded joint as the cause of
the
collapse Pont deas Shane France 1850 the
collapse of the Pont de laas Shane in
Air France in 1850 highlighted the
dangers of residance and the importance
of soldiers breaking step when Crossing
Bridges during a thunderstorm a
battalion of nearly 500 French soldiers
marched across the suspension bridge
their rhythmic steps causing severe
swaying the Bridge’s wire cable snapped
and one of the cast iron Towers
collapsed killing 226 people This
Disaster led to increased concerns about
the safety of suspension bridges and a
twood decade Hiatus on their
Construction in
France wangu River Rail Bridge New
Zealand
1953 on Christmas Eve 1953 a volcanic
mudslide from Mount ruapehu undermined a
portion of the wangu River Rail bridge
in tangai New Zealand minutes later a
passenger train with 285 passengers and
crew aboard approached the bridge and
six rail carriages plunged into the
river killing 151 people the quick
action of the locomotive crew prevented
further loss of life but they were among
the victims Queen Elizabeth II who was
visiting New Zealand at the time
expressed Sympathy for the victims and
visited with
survivors trell Bridge Illinois
1873 the truell bridge in Dixon Illinois
collapsed on a spring Sunday in
1873 when a crowd of more than 200
people gathered to witness baptisms in
the Rock River below the Iron Bridge
which had been completed Just 4 years
earlier was supposed to be an
improvement over wooden bridges that had
collapsed during floods however the
weight of the crowd overwhelmed the
Bridge’s foundations causing it to
collapse and trap many victims in its
iron lattice work the disaster dubbed
the truell Trap claimed 46 lives and
injured another 56
people Morandi Bridge Italy 2018 the
Morandi bridge in Genoa Italy was an
iconic structure known for its artistic
and Innovative design but on August 14
2018 tragedy struck when cables in the
Bridge’s Southern stays suddenly snapped
during a heavy Midsummer downpour
sections of the Bridge’s western side
broke apart sending dozens of cars
plummeting 150 ft into the pava river
and adjacent streets walkways and
railroad tracks the collapse which
resulted in 43 casualties and 16
injuries was attributed to the Corrosion
Of Steel cables due to cracks in the
bridges concrete allowing water and salt
air to seep
inside Sunshine Skyway Bridge Florida
1980 in 1980 the Sunshine Skyway Bridge
in Florida experienced a devastating
collapse when a freighter the MV Summit
Venture collided with two of the bridges
primary support columns during a sudden
Squall with its radar down the freighter
struggled to Traverse the Bay’s shipping
channel through thick fog torrential
rain and hurricane force winds the
Collision caused a 1200t long section of
the southbound span to fall in the water
along with six cars a pickup truck and a
Greyhound bus the accident claimed 35
lives with only the pickup truck driver
surviving the 150 ft
plunge I35 West Mississippi River Bridge
Minnesota 2007 the day the 35W bridge
came down during the evening Rush Hour
killing 13 people and injuring 145
others the collapse of the I35 West
Mississippi River Bridge in Minneapolis
Minnesota during evening Rush Hour on
August 1st 2007 was a shocking reminder
of the importance of proper Bridge
maintenance and design the center span
of the eight Lane steel truss Arch
Bridge suddenly collapsed causing
adjoining sections to crumble commuters
in over 100 vehicles and 18 construction
workers fell as far as 115 ft into the
river and its banks resulting in 133
deaths and 145 injuries investigations
found that the Bridge’s metal gusset
plates were insufficiently thick to
sustain the span’s weight compounded by
the strain of rush hour traffic and
construction gear on the deck during the
incident Queen Isabella Causeway Texas
2001 it was dark and the skies were
clear when a tugboat pushing four barges
loaded with steel collided into the
Queen Isabella Causeway on September
15th 2001 a tugboat barge struck the
Queen Isabella Causeway in Port Isabel
Texas causing a midsection of the bridge
to collapse 80 ft into the bay below the
incident occurred at night and eight
people died after motorists unknowingly
drove into the Gap the tragedy
highlights the importance of proper
navigation and the need for Swift
communication and Warning Systems to
prevent vehicles from driving onto
damaged or collapsed
Bridges big Bayou Canó Alabama 1993 the
Big B Cano disaster in Alabama in 93 is
a sobering example of the devastating
consequences of barge collisions with
railroad bridges in dense fog barges
being pushed by a towboat struck and
displaced the big Bayou Canó railroad
bridge near Mobile minutes later an
Amtrak train with 220 people aboard
reached the displaced bridge and
derailed killing 47 people and injuring
103
others silverbridge Ohio West Virginia
1967 the Silver Bridge which spanned the
Ohio river and connected Point Pleasant
West Virginia and Gallipolis Ohio was a
suspension bridge built in 1928 it was
named for its aluminum paint which gave
it a distinctive silver appearance on
December 15th 1967 during the height of
the holiday shopping season the Silver
Bridge suddenly collapsed resulting in
the death of 46 people and nine
injuries Francis Scott Key Bridge
Maryland 2024 the collapse of the
Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore on
March 26th is a tragic reminder of the
devastating consequences of bridge
failures and the importance of
maintaining the safety and integrity of
our infrastructure the disaster occurred
when the container ship MV Dolly
suffering from a complete power failure
drifted out of the shipping channel and
struck the bridges Southwest Pier the
Collision destroyed the bridges
Southwest main trust Pier triggering a
catastrophic collapse of the South
Central and Northern spans the bridge a
steel arch-shaped continuous truss
structure relied on its overall
Integrity to maintain stability and the
loss of a single Pier led to a rapid and
devastating failure within 30 seconds
the entirety of the trust spans and
three additional spans had fallen into
the Patapsco River several Vehicles were
on the bridge including maintenance crew
Vehicles two people were rescued from
the river with one in critical condition
tragically six maintenance crew members
were reported missing and two bodies
were recovered from a submerged vehicle
the remaining four are presumed dead the
collapse has had far-reaching
consequences for the Port of Baltimore
and the local economy the bridge carried
a portion of Interstate 695 a Beltway
around Baltimore and its closure has
disrupted daily commutes for thousands
and the incident has blocked most
shipping to and from the Port of
Baltimore one of the busiest ports in
the US Maryland governor Wes Moore
described the bridge collapse as a
global crisis with an estimated loss of
$15 million per day now it’s time to
hear from you what steps you think
should be taken to improve Bridge safety
and prevent future tragedies let us know
in the comments section
below
Did you know that the deadliest bridge collapse in history claimed an estimated 4,000 lives in Portugal in 1809? Did you know that the United States Congress passed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1968 in response to the tragic Silver Bridge collapse, establishing the National Bridge Inspection Standards?
▬Contents of this video▬
00:00 – Intro
00:40 – 1. Ponte das Barcas (Portugal, 1809)
01:11 – 2. Great Yarmouth Suspension Bridge (England, 1845)
01:46 – 3. Pont de la Basse-Chaîne (France, 1850)
02:27 – 4. Whangaehu River Rail Bridge (New Zealand, 1953)
03:08 – 5. Truesdell Bridge (Illinois, 1873)
03:49 – 6. Morandi Bridge (Italy, 2018)
04:32 – 7. Sunshine Skyway Bridge (Florida, 1980)
05:14 – 8. I-35W Mississippi River Bridge (Minnesota, 2007)
06:15 – 9. Queen Isabella Causeway (Texas, 2001)
06:55 – 10. Big Bayou Canot (Alabama, 1993)
07:28 – 11. Silver Bridge (Ohio/West Virginia, 1967)
07:58 – 12. Francis Scott Key Bridge (Maryland, 2024)
09:36 – Outro
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This video explores some of the most devastating bridge disasters throughout history, from the Ponte das Barcas collapse in Portugal during the Peninsular War to the recent Morandi Bridge collapse in Italy. These tragedies, which have occurred in various parts of the world and across different time periods, highlight the critical importance of proper bridge design, construction, maintenance, and safety protocols.
The video delves into the unique circumstances surrounding each disaster, such as the Great Yarmouth Suspension Bridge collapse in England, caused by a publicity stunt gone wrong, and the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse in Missouri, which resulted from a critical design flaw and communication breakdown. By examining the factors that contributed to these tragedies, we can gain valuable insights into the challenges faced by bridge engineers and the potential consequences of neglecting infrastructure safety.
The video also explores the human toll of these disasters, honoring the lives lost and the communities forever changed by these tragic events. From the Whangaehu River Rail Bridge collapse in New Zealand, which claimed 151 lives on Christmas Eve in 1953, to the Morandi Bridge collapse in Italy, which killed 43 people in 2018, each disaster has left an indelible mark on the lives of those affected.
Throughout the video, we emphasize the importance of learning from these tragedies and using the lessons learned to drive positive change in the engineering and construction industries. The Silver Bridge collapse in the United States, for example, led to major reforms in bridge inspection and maintenance practices, while the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse prompted significant changes in the way building designs are reviewed and communicated.
As we reflect on these bridge disasters and the lives lost, it is clear that ensuring the safety and reliability of our infrastructure must remain a top priority. By investing in the proper design, construction, and maintenance of our bridges, and by fostering a culture of safety and accountability, we can work towards preventing future tragedies and building a safer, more connected world for generations to come. This video serves as a poignant and powerful reminder of the importance of this mission and the work that still lies ahead.
The Most Devastating Bridge Collapse Disasters in History