Bridges are importamt for long-distance travel by cars, trucks snd trains. Once upona time, bridges were less than reliable, their wooden components prone to failure through decay. While steel wire and steel girders and better design features hsve caused us to take bridge reliability for granted, failures still occur, usually with spectacular consequences

Here are some URLs that may be useful as jumping-off points (er, uh, pun intended). This list is by no means exhaustive but rather is intended as an attention-getter

May, 2001, Portsmouth NH, draw bridge left open
http://www.seacoastonline.com/2001news/5_22a.htm

November, 1940, Washington state, suspension bridge collapse
http://www.ketchum.org/bridgecollapse.html

August, 1968, Merrillan WI, train bridge collapse
http://www.greenbayroute.com/1968merrillanwreck.htm

May, 2002, Webbers Falls OK, barge hits bridge
http://www.newsok.com/?cc_bridge

November 1863, Chicago IL, bridge collapsed while cattle were crossing
http://www.chipublib.org/004chicago/disasters/rushbridge_collapse.html

January, 1938, Niagara Falls NY, bridge collapse
http://vintageviews.org/vv-ny/Ko/cards/nf013.html

 This page was last reviewed 10/16/05