It’s probably crossed your mind at some point when you’re driving or walking across a bridge. What if? For the most part, there is nothing to worry about. Millions of people cross bridges everyday and it’s not very often we hear about one collapsing. That’s the good news. But the bad news is this: it happens more often than it should, and even today, with all other the technology and knowledge, it still happens. Bridges do collapse. Here are 6 of the worst bridge collapses from the last 100 years.
6. Mianus Bridge, Greenwich, CT
6. Mianus Bridge, Greenwich, CT
In 1983, one of the pins used in the construction of the Mianus Bridge in Greenwich, Connecticut was sheared. It caused an entire 100-foot section to collapse, killing 3 people.
5. Fremantle Bridge, Austrailia
5. Fremantle Bridge, Austrailia
It was a stroke of good luck when the Fremantle Bridge collapsed in 1926. After recent flooding, the bridge began to sag when a train crossed it. Soon after, and fortunately with no passenger trains present, it collapsed.
4. Skagit River Bridge, Washington
4. Skagit River Bridge, Washington
In 2013, the Skagit River Bridge in Washington was carrying an oversized load that was hitting the overhead support beams on the bridge. It collapsed the bridge immediately in the northernmost part and fortunately, the passengers of the two fallen vehicles were rescued by boat with no injuries.
3. Bay Bridge, San Francisco, CA
3. Bay Bridge, San Francisco, CA
The Bay Bridge, between Oakland and San Francisco, was fine until the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake happened. It caused part of the upper deck to collapse, and the bridge closed down for a month.
2. Seongsu Bridge, Seoul, South Korea
2. Seongsu Bridge, Seoul, South Korea
In 1994, morning rush hour on the Seonsu Bridge in Seoul, South Korea, came to a screeching halt when the central section of the bridge collapsed. 31 people were killed.
1. Dal Bridge, India
1. Dal Bridge, India
In 2012, during an official visit from important people, the Dal Bridge collapsed, injuring 30 people and killing two. The wooden bridge couldn’t hold the crowd of people, dozens of whom plummeted to the water below during the collapse.
