It was one year ago on Aug. 1 that the Interstate 35W Bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River. First responders and other City employees are encouraged to take part in ceremonies to mark that tragedy, remember the survivors and to pay respects to the 13 people killed.
At 11 a.m. an Interfaith Prayer and Memorial Service will take place at the Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N 17th St. Free public parking is available at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College parking ramp east of the Basilica.
At 4:30 p.m., an outdoor memorial ceremony will take place at Gold Medal Park, 10th Avenue South and 2nd Street South. Musicians and other artists representing many different cultures will perform at the park. Then at around 5:30 p.m., police officers, firefighters and other first responders will lead a procession to the Stone Arch Bridge, where the names of the 13 victims will be read. A moment of silence will follow at 6:05 p.m.– the time the bridge collapsed.
Free Metro Transit rides are available to members of the public attending the I-35W bridge memorial event at Gold Medal Park. Riders can download a free pass to use on Metro Transit buses and trains between 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 1, at www.metrotransit.org.
Two additional Park and Ride locations will also be available for those traveling to the Gold Medal Park ceremony. You can park free and ride free with the free pass from the following locations:
Service from these locations starts at 3 p.m. Buses to Gold Medal Park will leave every 15 minutes. The last trip on the shuttles to Gold Medal Park will leave each of the two lots at 4:30 p.m. Return trips begin around 6:30 p.m. Gold Medal Park pickup and drop off locations, as well as a “Trip Planner” are available at www.metrotransit.org.
July 31, 2008