Construction begins on 35W bridge memorial in Mpls.
Construction workers poured concrete Thursday morning for the 35W bridge memorial site in Minneapolis.
The outdoor memorial garden will feature 13 pillars, each inscribed with the name of a person who died when the bridge collapsed in 2007. The memorial will also feature a stone wall, shorter than the pillars, that will contain the names of bridge survivors.
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said the creation of the memorial is part of the healing process for the survivors.
"The repair work continues with the commitments we made to the people who lost loved ones," Rybak said. "We told them we would not forget and today we demonstrate that."
Two bridge collapse survivors appeared with the mayor to voice their approval of the memorial design. The remembrance garden is scheduled to open August 1, on the four-year anniversary of the disaster.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.