New Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis opens

The new Interstate 35W bridge opened for traffic early Thursday, a little more than a year after the last one collapsed into the Mississippi River.

Traffic was heavy as a mix of cars, motorcycles, trucks and buses lined up to cross the new bridge, which reopens a major artery leading in and out of Minneapolis.

Many vehicles honked their horns and a few motorists waved flags as they made the first trip across the span.

The old bridge fell Aug. 1, 2007, killing 13 people and injuring 145 others.

The new $234 million bridge contains hundreds of sensors that will collect data.

The purpose of the "smart bridge" technology isn't to warn of another impending disaster; it's to detect small problems before they become big ones, said Alan Phipps, design manager for the project with Figg Engineering Group Inc. of Tallahassee, Fla.

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Let us hope the "smart bridge" thing really works.