Bridge Over Troubled Water Trivia Quiz

Answer: Gustave Eiffel

On June 14, 1891 the Munchenstein Bridge collapsed while a passenger train was crossing. Eight railway cars fell into the Birs River and over 70 people were killed. The bridge had been designed and erected in 1875 by Gustave Eiffel who went on to design the Eiffel Tower in Paris. One passenger car hung from the bridge and five remained on the bridge.

At no time did the train derail, instead it plunged through the center of the bridge when it suffered structural collapse. This bridge disaster which injured over 170 people ushered in a new age of bridge safety in Switzerland which focused on design and upkeep.

Answer: A barge ran into the bridge

The I-40 (Interstate 40) bridge collapsed after a barge ran into it a took out almost 600 ft. (176m) of the bridge. Fourteen people died when their vehicles fell into the Arkansas River. The whole incident was complicated when two-time felon William James Clark took over the rescue by pretending to be a U.S. Army Captain assigned this duty.

He directed police, FBI, and other rescue personnel as well as appropriating equipment for rescue efforts. He fled to Canada where he was later apprehended.

Answer: Anglesey

The Britannia Bridge which was built in 1850 was a enclosed tubular bridge which joined the island of Anglesey with mainland Wales. In 1970 two juveniles playing with a torch set fire to the bridge. The enclosed tubular design of the bridge had wooden tar-coated roofs which quickly caught fire. It took over 10 years to build a new bridge and parts of the old bridge are still visible.

Answer: Earthquake

The Cypress Street Viaduct collapsed during the Loma Prieta Earthquake, killing 42 people and injuring dozens of others. Images of the collapse were shown on news programs around the world in the aftermath of the disaster. This double-decker viaduct collapsed crushing the drivers on the lower level. Poor design contributed to this disaster as well as the 6.9 earthquake.

The remains of the viaduct were completely torn down and a new road was built with modern safety measures and an earthquake resistant design.

Answer: Sabotage

It was reported that "fish plates", which anchor the rails to the bridge, were deliberately removed in an act of sabotage and revenge by the Naxalites, who were involved in guerrilla warfare in the area. This explanation has been disputed but remains the accepted explanation for the collapse of the bridge. Fifteen of the eighteen cars derailed and two fell 300 ft. into the Dhave River.

The body count has been estimated as 200 but the true number will never be known as the government stepped in and was not forthcoming with details of their inquiry.

Answer: Silver Bridge

The Silver Bridge was an eyebar chain suspension bridge that crossed the Ohio River. On Dec. 15, 1967 the bridge collapsed during rush hour causing the deaths of 46 people. The bridge collapsed due to a defect in a single link of the chain suspension. Eyewitnesses said it took less than one minute for the whole bridge to collapse sending all the passenger cars into the river.

In the aftermath of this bridge collapse, legislation was passed that ensured proper and regular inspection of all old bridges.

Answer: Scotland

On December 28th, 1879 during a heavy storm, the center of the two mile long Tay Bridge collapsed taking a passenger train with it. All 75 people aboard were killed but only 46 bodies were recovered. This railroad bridge near Dundee, Scotland collapsed from a combination of high winds, poor design, and shoddy building materials.

Interestingly, the engine of the train was fished out of the river and repaired. It acquired the nickname "The Diver" and there were superstitious railroad engineers who refused to drive it.

Answer: Volcanic activity

A lahar or berlahar is a flood of pyroclastic material, water, and soil that flows down from a volcano, in this instance Mount Ruapehu. When this flood of material hit the Tangiwai Bridge it washed away one complete span. When the train came onto the bridge the remaining parts buckled causing the locomotive and six of the passenger cars to fall into the river of sludge below.

This caused the deaths of 151 of the 285 passengers aboard the train. One of the passenger cars was found five miles down river.

This bridge collapse brought about new safety measures that include an early warning system.

Answer: True

On July 17, 1981 over 1,600 people attended a dance competition in the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel. When the overhead walkway collapsed due to overload and poor design, 114 people were killed and over 200 people were injured in what was the deadliest structural collapse in U.S. history to that time.

When a new walkway was built in the interior of the hotel, a design that was supported from below, as opposed to a suspension type design was used.

Answer: False

The Sunshine Skyway was a five mile long steel cantilever bridge built in 1954. On May 9, 1980 this much traveled bridge collapsed when the freighter MV Summit Venture collided with one of the bridge's support columns. The total collapse of 1,200 ft (366m) of the bridge sent 10 cars and a Greyhound Bus into Tampa Bay killing 35 people. Only one person survived the fall from the bridge when his car landed on the ship instead of landing in the water. Parts of the old bridge have been reinforced and are now used as a fishing pier.