Member Spotlight

I-35W Bridge Reconstruction

Aerial view of the I-35W Bridge construction site on the bank of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, with red crawler cranes, a concrete pump and ready mixed concrete trucks working beside an arched bridge — Building the new I-35W Bridge on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.

Following the 2007 collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis, Cemstone Companies partnered with FIGG Engineering and Flatiron-Manson to help rebuild a critical transportation link serving more than 140,000 vehicles per day. Cemstone supplied approximately 50,000 cubic yards of high-performance concrete for the bridge’s foundations, piers, precast elements, and deck, helping deliver a structure designed for a 100-year service life. The completed bridge spans 1,223 feet, features a 504-foot main span, stands 110 feet above the Mississippi River, and incorporates 15.8 million pounds of reinforcing steel and 4.15 million pounds of post-tensioning steel.

Beyond its technical achievements, the project created a meaningful connection with the community through the “Casting the Future” educational program. Local fifth-grade students learned about engineering, construction, and concrete technology while creating approximately 3,500 exposed-aggregate concrete tiles that were incorporated into the bridge site. Opened to traffic on September 18, just 13 months after the collapse and only 11 months after construction began, the new I-35W Bridge stands as a lasting symbol of resilience, innovation, collaboration, and community healing.

To learn more about the project, read our company blog here.

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