8 of the Most Devastating Cases of Bridge Collapse in the World

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Recently, a bridge in Baltimore, United States, collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship. The collision caused a large portion of the bridge to collapse into the Patapsco River estuary, blocking shipping lanes and forcing the closure of the Port of Baltimore.

Bridges are among the greatest engineering feats in history. But in rare cases, they collapse unexpectedly and catastrophically due to structural deficiencies, weather conditions, or excessive weight. According to history.com, these eight bridge collapses are among the deadliest bridge disasters in history:

1. Ponte das Barcas, Portugal, 1809 (Estimated deaths: 4,000)

History’s deadliest bridge collapse occurred during the Peninsular War as the forces of Napoleon attacked the Portuguese city of Porto. Thousands of civilians attempted to flee a bayonet charge by the French imperial army by crossing the Ponte das Barcas. The overloaded bridge collapsed under the weight of the people, killing an estimated 4,000 Portuguese civilians and French legionnaires.

2. Great Yarmouth Suspension Bridge, England, 1845 (Estimated deaths: 79)

On the afternoon of May 2, 1845, thousands of people crowded the suspension bridge to witness clown Arthur Nelson riding the River Bure’s flood tide in a washtub drawn by four geese. As Nelson passed beneath the bridge, which opened in 1829, the onlookers suddenly shifted from one side to the other. According to history.com, the sudden weight change caused the bridge’s chains to snap, which killed 79 people, including 59 children, some as young as two.

3. Pont de la Basse-Chaîne, France, 1850 (Estimated deaths: 226)

Thunderstorms and corrosion of the bridge’s anchor were cited as the cause of the collapse of this 335-foot-long bridge. The collapse of this bridge and several others raised concerns about the safety of suspension bridges. The disaster also reiterated the importance of soldiers “breaking steps” when crossing bridges to prevent dangerous resonance.

4. Whangaehu River Rail Bridge, New Zealand, 1953 (Estimated deaths: 151)

On Christmas Eve in 1953, a Wellington-to-Auckland express passenger train with 285 passengers and crew aboard approached the Whangaehu River Rail Bridge in rural Tangiwai, New Zealand. Minutes earlier, a volcanic mudslide from nearby Mount Ruapehu had destroyed a portion of the bridge, and six rail carriages plunged into the river, killing 151 people including the locomotive crew.

5. Truesdell Bridge, Illinois, 1873 (Estimated deaths: 46)

On May 4, 1873, a large crowd of more than 200 people gathered on the Truesdell Bridge in Dixon, Illinois to witness baptisms in the Rock River below. 

The Iron Truesdell Bridge was completed in January 1869 for $75,000. However, the weight of the crowd overwhelmed the bridge's foundations and it collapsed. Forty-six people were killed and another 56 were injured. Citing history.com, newspaper headlines dubbed the disaster the “The Truesdell Trap” and an American Society of Civil Engineers analysis later blamed a "faulty design" for the collapse.

6. Morandi Bridge, Italy, 2018 (Estimated deaths: 43)

With its artistic and innovative design, the Morandi Bridge became an instant landmark in Genoa after its 1967 opening. However, on August 14, 2018, cables in the bridge’s southern stays snapped during a heavy summer downpour, causing sections of its western side to break apart. An independent investigation blamed the collapse on the corrosion of steel cables. This bridge collapse resulted in 43 deaths and 16 injuries. A replacement bridge opened in August 2020.

7. Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Florida, 1980 (Estimated deaths: 35)

Sudden squall engulfed the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, spanning the mouth of Tampa Bay south of St. Petersburg, Florida, on May 9, 1980. With its radar down, the nearly 20-ton freighter MV Summit Venture collided with two of the bridge’s support columns. A 1,200-foot-long section of the southbound span fell into the water with six cars, one pickup truck, and a Greyhound bus. The accident killed 35 people and a replacement span opened in 1987.

8. I-35W Mississippi River Bridge, Minnesota, 2007 (Estimated deaths: 13)

During the evening of August 1, 2007, the center span of an eight-lane, steel truss arch bridge suddenly collapsed. Commuters in 111 vehicles and 18 construction workers fell as much as 115 feet onto the river and its banks. The accident killed 13 people and resulted in 145 injuries. 

REUTERS | HISTORY

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