A short life for a long spanSourced
Opened in July, collapsed in November
Washington’s first Tacoma Narrows Bridge opened on 1 July 1940. Its wind-driven movement had already earned it the nickname Galloping Gertie during construction. On 7 November, increasing twisting motion led to the main span’s collapse.
A bridge’s motion in wind mattered as much as its length.
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Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940) · Wikimedia contributors
Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940) ↗
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Reviewed: 2026-10-10