29-Year Anniversary Of The Thruway Bridge Collapse – April 5, 1987

Today, April 5, 2016 marks the 29^th anniversary of the Thruway Bridge Collapse over the Schoharie Creek.

It’s not an anniversary we like to talk about. It's not a memory we like to think about. Our area has to deal with the painful memory and feelings that this tragedy caused. It was 1987. I was just out of high school. I remember watching the news reports thinking, "How can this happen?" It was just totally shocking. At 10:50 a.m., the bridge just gave way, collapsing 80 feet and taking four cars and a tractor trailer with it. Ten people lost their lives.

I found this documentary on the bridge collapse. I guess if anything good can come out of something like this, it’s that our bridges now are subject to more inspections and under water inspections, something the state was not doing before this happened, probably saving countless lives over the years.

People always remember where they were when specific tragedies occur, like when Kennedy was shot.  I wonder how many Capital Region folks remember where they were when the bridge collapsed. I know I do and I will never forget.