Schoharie Creek Bridge collapse

The Schoharie Creek Bridge was a road structure spanning the creek along Interstate 90, with support piers embedded in the streambed. Its foundation design lacked adequate safeguards against water erosion around the base.

On April 5, 1987, heavy rainfall and snowmelt caused the structure to collapse, killing ten people in the disaster. The failure resulted from erosion around the piers and insufficient maintenance over time.

The collapse sparked conversations about infrastructure responsibility across the country and shaped how engineers approach maintenance planning today.

The site has no public access today, as the creek area remains a hazard zone with debris underwater. Travelers passing through on Interstate 90 can observe a historical marker indicating where the incident occurred.

The collapse happened in stages rather than all at once: three separate bridge sections fell within ninety minutes as the initial failure weakened the remaining structure. This cascading pattern changed how engineers design protections against progressive pier failure.

Location: New York

GPS coordinates: 42.93083,-74.27806

Latest update: December 7, 2025 20:21