I-35W Bridge Collapse
At 6:05pm, on August 1, 2007 the I-35W Bridge across the Mississippi River near downtown Minneapolis collapsed without warning. The tragedy left many dead and injured as scores of vehicles and their occupants were trapped in bridge debris or plunged into the river. In rapid response to this event, AeroMetric provided aerial photography, LiDAR, and related geospatial data services. AeroMetric began its work within 16 hours of the collapse and continued to provide the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and others with timely geospatial data for a period of 10 weeks.
As a member of the Minneapolis-St. Paul community, it was AeroMetric's duty to support the emergency response effort in any way needed. Because of our ability to respond immediately with ample resources and excellent communication with all involved personnel, the correct solution was crafted to provide deliverables in a timely manner. Early discussions with the MnDOT personnel were imperative in ensuring that final deliverables met all of their needs. It was understood that data would be needed for the following efforts: search and recovery, forensic, site access, detouring, historical, and design and construction of the new bridge.
This project demonstrates the use of photogrammetric technologies and digital sensors as a viable avenue to collect the vast amounts of data needed to create detailed engineering grade map documents to identify infrastructure vulnerabilities. The collected geospatial data was instrumental in determining the cause of the collapse and facilitating the construction of the new bridge.
On January 28, 2008, AeroMetric, Inc., received special recognition from the Minnesota Department of Transportation for their response to the I-35W bridge collapse. In addition to an “Above & Beyond” award for Excellence in Public Service, AeroMetric also received a Certificate of Appreciation and a personal letter from the Minnesota Lt. Governor and Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Following the collapse, airspace around the bridge was severely restricted. The increased demand for airspace added safety and security obstacles that had to be cleared. AeroMetric's knowledge and experience in emergency response flight operations were key elements that enabled the successful completion of the project.
The use of airborne lidar to collect precision data of the collapsed structure and debris was an innovative application of this technology. The AeroMetric Team proved that it is possible to collect a vast amount of engineering grade data very quickly, which not only applies to emergency response operations but also for assessment of as-built structures.
The new bridge opened to traffic September 18, 2008, more than 3 months ahead of schedule.
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