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Quiz about Bridges of Sighs
Quiz about Bridges of Sighs

Bridges of Sighs Trivia Quiz


Ten bridges that are somehow connected to sad or tragic events, bridges of sighs.

A multiple-choice quiz by wjames. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
wjames
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
389,589
Updated
Aug 12 24
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
299
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Which striking bridge over saltwater in the U.S. is always near the top of worldwide sites for suicide? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Which Florida bridge partially collapsed in 1980 after being struck by a passing ship, killing 35 motorists? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. During the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the upper deck of which San Francisco area bridge collapsed on the roadway below? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Nicknamed "Galloping Gertie" even while under construction, what waterway in Washington State did a bridge span when it famously collapsed in 1940? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. A 1993 accident on the Big Bayou Canot Bridge near Mobile, Alabama, was the deadliest accident for which American transportation company? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Which country suffered the collapse of the Rainbow Bridge in 1999? Poor quality steel and dereliction of maintenance led to the execution of a government official. Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Which hotel chain suffered the collapse of two suspended walkway bridges in 1981, killing 114? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. One of the earliest infamous bridge collapses occurred in Scotland, contributing to the victory of William Wallace over the English at which battle? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. The collapse of the Broughton Suspension Bridge in Manchester, England, in 1831 resulted in what new cadence for marching troops? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. A bridge built in 1943 over the Mae Klong River near Kanchanaburi was destroyed in 1945. How is this bridge better known? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Which striking bridge over saltwater in the U.S. is always near the top of worldwide sites for suicide?

Answer: Golden Gate, San Francisco

The gorgeous Golden Gate Bridge, bright orange against the green hills of Marin County, the blue waters and the white buildings of San Francisco, is apparently an attractive location for those wanting to end their lives. People from all over the U.S. and world have traveled to San Francisco just to jump from this bridge at the edge of a continent. About 5% survive the fall from 245 feet (75 meters), but many of those then drown or die of hypothermia; amazingly, a few people survive each year to be picked up by U.S. Coast Guard Station Golden Gate at the foot of the bridge.
2. Which Florida bridge partially collapsed in 1980 after being struck by a passing ship, killing 35 motorists?

Answer: Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Tampa

In a severe thunderstorm on the morning of May 9th, 1980, the freighter Summit Venture struck one of the supporting columns of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge as the ship tried to enter Tampa Bay. Over 1200 feet of the southbound lane of the bridge plunged 150 feet into the water, causing 35 deaths among the passengers in one Greyhound bus, six cars and a truck. Amazingly, one man, Mr. Wesley MacIntire, survived when his pickup truck first hit the ship before falling into the bay. Before the remains of the bridge were finally removed, he drove to the opening and dropped 35 carnations into the waters below as a memorial to those lost on the day he survived.
3. During the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the upper deck of which San Francisco area bridge collapsed on the roadway below?

Answer: SF-Oakland Bay Bridge

The 6.9 magnitude earthquake caused the eastern portion of the bridge, between Yerba Buena Island and Oakland, to move 7 inches to the east, causing bolts to shear and drop a 50- by 76-foot section of the upper deck onto the lower deck. The earthquake happened October 17th and the bridge was repaired and reopened on November 18th.
4. Nicknamed "Galloping Gertie" even while under construction, what waterway in Washington State did a bridge span when it famously collapsed in 1940?

Answer: Tacoma Narrows

Begun in 1938, the first deck of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge visibly moved while under construction due to the winds funneling through the narrow waterway. Opened in July 1940, the bridge continued to oscillate so that it was closed in high winds. The bridge collapsed in November 1940 in 40 mph winds. Architects and physicists established that the motion that led to the collapse is known as aeroelastic flutter.
5. A 1993 accident on the Big Bayou Canot Bridge near Mobile, Alabama, was the deadliest accident for which American transportation company?

Answer: Amtrak

At 3 AM on September 22nd 1993, the Sunset Limited Amtrak train crossed the bridge at approximately 70 mph on its run from Los Angeles to Miami. Unknown to the train, an inexperienced tug boat pilot had hit the bridge in heavy fog, knocking the track out of alignment enough to cause the train to derail. Three locomotives and four passenger cars plunged into the river, killing 47.
6. Which country suffered the collapse of the Rainbow Bridge in 1999? Poor quality steel and dereliction of maintenance led to the execution of a government official.

Answer: China

Qijiang, China was the location of the 3-year-old bridge that collapsed on January 4th, 1999, killing at least 40 people. The main cause was determined to be corruption: from inferior steel to shoddy workmanship to poor maintenance. Lin Shiyuan, former deputy Communist Party chief of Qijiang County, was found guilty of accepting bribes from contractors and was executed.
7. Which hotel chain suffered the collapse of two suspended walkway bridges in 1981, killing 114?

Answer: Hyatt Regency

A striking feature of the 40-story Hyatt Regency in Kansas City, Missouri, was a multi-story atrium that was spanned by walkway bridges suspended from the ceiling. Approximately 20 people were on the fourth-level walkway when it collapsed, crashing into the second-level walkway directly below that had approximately 40 people on it. Both walkways crashed into the floor below where a tea dance was being held.
8. One of the earliest infamous bridge collapses occurred in Scotland, contributing to the victory of William Wallace over the English at which battle?

Answer: Stirling Bridge

In September 1297, invading English forces crowded onto the narrow wooden Stirling Bridge over the River Forth. The weight of the troops caused the bridge to collapse, cutting off easy access and greatly contributing to the Scots victory. A stone bridge was built in the vicinity in the 1400s and remains in use today.
9. The collapse of the Broughton Suspension Bridge in Manchester, England, in 1831 resulted in what new cadence for marching troops?

Answer: Break step

The vibrations caused by troops marching in step across the bridge caused a bolt to snap due to mechanical resonance. Luckily, only 20 were injured and no one was killed in the collapse. "Break step" causes troops to walk out of step, reducing the chance of mechanical resonance and is now routinely given when formations approach a bridge. "Route step" is similar, in that troops don't have to march in step, but that order is given on long marches to allow the troops to relax a bit and talk among themselves.
10. A bridge built in 1943 over the Mae Klong River near Kanchanaburi was destroyed in 1945. How is this bridge better known?

Answer: Bridge on the River Kwai

The Mae Klong was renamed the Kwai Yai River in 1960. The 1957 movie "Bridge on the River Kwai" is a fictionalized account of the building of a bridge in the Kanchanaburi area by prisoners of war in WW2. The actual bridge stood for over two years before being destroyed by allied air strikes.
Source: Author wjames

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