Interstate 35W Bridge Collapse Memorial Poster

At 6:05 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, August 1, 2007, the Interstate 35W Bridge collapsed in downtown Minneapolis. The central span of the bridge suddenly gave way, followed by the adjoining spans and the structure and deck collapsed into the river and onto the riverbanks below. A total of 111 vehicles were involved, sending their occupants and 18 construction workers as far as 115 feet down to the river or onto its banks.

13 people were killed. A school bus carrying 63 children returning from a field trip ended up resting precariously against the guardrail of the collapsed structure near a burning semi-trailer truck. At least 22 children were injured.

This poster was designed to capture the moment when the bridge dropped out from under the victims and the terrifying sensation of falling as the structure fell apart. It was a failure of TRUST in the man-made infrastructure that surrounds us.

American Institute of Graphic Arts sent out a call to the membership to design one-of-a-kind posters commemorating the disaster that were put on sale through a silent auction benefiting the Minnesota Helps—Bridge Disaster Fund™ set up to help cover uninsured medical costs for victims of the bridge collapse.