Water over Troubled Bridge Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tacoma Narrows Bridge

The original Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which was located in Washington State, was opened to traffic on July 1, 1940. The bridge had a serious design flaw that caused the roadway to sway violently during high winds. Because of this, the bridge was given the nickname "Galloping Gertie".

The bridge would eventually collapse on November 7, 1940. Except for one motorist's dog, there were no casualties. A new bridge was completed on October 14, 1950.

Answer: Minneapolis, Minnesota

On August 1, 2007, a steel arch bridge carrying Interstate 35W in Minneapolis collapsed during rush hour traffic. The collapse killed 13 people and caused numerous injuries. The bridge was completed in 1967 and as early as 1990 the bridge was reported to be structurally deficient.

It was determined by the National Transportation Safety Board that the bridge's design was inadequate to sustain the traffic load it was intended to support when it was built.

Answer: Earthquake

A portion of the eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge collapsed during an earthquake that occurred on October 17, 1989. The upper roadway of the bridge fell onto the lower roadway killing one person. After the earthquake, the western span (a suspension bridge) received structural reinforcement.

The eastern span (a cantilever bridge) was repaired. It was replaced in 2013 with a new single tower suspension bridge.

Answer: A ship collided with the bridge

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay, Florida opened in 1954 as a cantilever bridge, with a twin bridge opening in 1971. A cargo ship named the MV Summit Venture collided with the southbound bridge during a thunderstorm causing it to collapse, killing 35 people. The northbound bridge would be restricted to one lane in each direction until a new cable stayed bridge was built in 1987.

Answer: Silver Bridge

The Silver Bridge, which linked Point Pleasant, West Virginia to Gallipolis, Ohio was completed in 1928. The bridge collapsed on December 15, 1967 due to the failure of one of the eyebars. An increased traffic load, as well as poor maintenance contributed to the bridge's failure. The bridge was replaced by the Silver Memorial Bridge in 1969.

Answer: Quebec Bridge

The Quebec Bridge in Quebec City, Canada is the longest cantilever bridge in the world as of January, 2017. The bridge collapsed twice during its construction. The first collapse occurred on August 29, 1907, killing 75 workers. The second collapse occurred on September 11, 1916 when the center portion of the bridge fell while being raised into position, killing another 13 workers.

The bridge was finally opened to traffic on December 3, 1919.

Answer: South Padre Island

The Queen Isabella Causeway links South Padre Island with Port Isabel, Texas on the mainland. On September 15, 2001, four barges crashed into the bridge and parts of the bridge collapsed. Eight people were killed. The bridge was repaired and reopened to traffic on November 21, 2001.

Answer: West Gate Bridge

The West Gate Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge located in Melbourne, Australia. On October 15, 1970, 35 workers were killed when the bridge collapsed while still under construction. The cause of the collapse was determined to be flaws in both the design and the construction method. The bridge was completed on November 15, 1978.

Answer: Venice, Italy

The Rialto Bridge is a pedestrian bridge located in Venice, Italy. During its early history as a wooden bridge it had collapsed several times, most notably in 1444 when the bridge fell under the weight of a crowd watching a boat parade. The current stone arch bridge was completed in 1591.

Answer: Honeymoon Bridge

The Honeymoon Bridge was a steel arch bridge that linked Niagara Falls, New York with Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. The bridge was completed in 1898. Up until 1916, it was the longest steel arch bridge in the world. Throughout its history ice would build up on the bridge's abutments. On January 27, 1938, the ice buildup eventually caused the bridge to collapse.

It was replaced by the Rainbow Bridge, which opened on November 1, 1941.