Before the Tacoma Narrows Bridge that you see before you was built, there had been a previous one. This baby opened on July 1, 1940 and was the third longest suspension span in the world. Unfortunately, it also had the shortest life span. In heavy winds — common here in the Puget Sound — the bridge tended to buckle and warp. Driving on the thing was like trying to tap dance on a rubber band. And, then, one stormy day on November 7 — only four months after it was built — the bridge heaved and buckled. And then it snapped. Watch this amazing video of the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge, it was caught on film and documented by local news stations, who coined the term, Gallopin’ Gertie.

After that, the bridge became famous as the most dramatic failure in bridge engineering history. But now it’s listed as one of the world’s largest man-made reefs. Seriously. In 1992, its sunken remains were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. That’s going to make it a real pain to remodel the thing.

Josh

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