None of us who are old enough to remember, will ever forget the collapse of the I-35W Bridge, over the Mississippi. It was August, 1 2007, at 6:05 pm. I remember it was a beautiful day, I had company. Just enjoying a backyard barbecue with friends when the unbelievable happened.

Thirteen people died and 145 people were injured. The memorial overlooks the spot on the Mississippi River where the bridge fell. It consists of thirteen steel girders, one for each of the victims. Inscribed on each girder is the name of the victim and on most, the story of who they were. It’s very moving to go down the line and read about who these people were and how there tragic deaths affected their loved ones. The girders are eighty-one feet high, representing the date of the bridge collapse, 8/1. A black wall is located behind the girders, the wall is etched with the names of the 145 survivors.

The memorial is located a block east of the Guthrie Theatre and just north of Gold Medal Park, on the River Road.