History of Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940) in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: July 19, 2026

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, opened in July 1940, gained notoriety for its dramatic collapse just four months later. Designed with a slender, flexible suspension system, the bridge proved highly susceptible to aeroelastic flutter, causing it to oscillate violently during moderate winds. On November 7, 1940, winds reaching 42 mph triggered torsional vibrations that tore the span apart, sending it into the Tacoma Narrows strait. No human lives were lost, though a dog perished in a stranded vehicle. The collapse served as a pivotal case study in civil engineering and physics, highlighting the critical importance of aerodynamics and structural rigidity in suspension bridge design. It fundamentally changed how engineers approach wind resistance and dynamic stability in large-scale infrastructure projects.

1923: Tacoma Chamber of Commerce Campaign Launch

In 1923, the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce initiated a formal campaign and began funding studies to explore the construction of a bridge connecting Tacoma to the Kitsap Peninsula.

1929: Preliminary Bridge Proposal Submission

In 1929, engineer David B. Steinman presented a preliminary proposal for the bridge project to the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce following several funded site visits.

1931: Cancellation of Steinman Agreement

In 1931, the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce terminated its agreement with David B. Steinman, citing his perceived lack of effort in securing the necessary financing for the bridge project.

1937: Creation of the Washington State Toll Bridge Authority

In 1937, the Washington State legislature officially established the Washington State Toll Bridge Authority and allocated $5,000 in funding to conduct a feasibility study for the construction of a bridge connecting Tacoma and Pierce County across the Narrows.

June 23, 1938: PWA Approval of Funding for Tacoma Narrows Bridge

On June 23, 1938, the Public Works Administration (PWA) officially approved nearly $6 million in funding for the construction of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, a vital step that helped secure the project's financial feasibility.

September 1938: Commencement of Construction

In September 1938, the construction process for the Tacoma Narrows Bridge officially began, marking the start of the project that would later become infamous for its structural instability.

November 23, 1938: Commencement of Tacoma Narrows Bridge Construction

On November 23, 1938, the construction phase of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge officially began, following the structural design principles established by engineer Leon Moisseiff.

1938: Steinman Predicts Bridge Failure

During a 1938 meeting of the American Society of Civil Engineers, engineer David B. Steinman publicly predicted the failure of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge while its designer was present in the audience.

July 1, 1940: Official Opening of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge

On July 1, 1940, the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge, a suspension bridge connecting Tacoma to the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington, was officially opened to public traffic.

November 2, 1940: Conclusion of Wind Tunnel Studies

On November 2, 1940, engineering professor Frederick Burt Farquharson finished his initial wind tunnel studies regarding the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, where he utilized scale models to identify the causes of bridge oscillations and proposed corrective measures just five days prior to the structure's eventual collapse.

November 7, 1940: Collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge

On the morning of November 7, 1940, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed during 40-mile-per-hour winds after its deck suffered from extreme, amplifying oscillations. This event resulted in the destruction of the bridge, injuries to people fleeing the scene, and the death of a dog named Tubby.

November 1940: The Influence of a Major Low-Pressure System on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge

In November 1940, a severe low-pressure system traversed the United States, creating intense winds that contributed to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge disaster on November 7, 1940. This same weather system subsequently intensified, leading to the catastrophic Armistice Day storm in the Great Lakes region four days later, an event documented by the Chicago Tribune as the 'heaviest winds in this century' for the city of Chicago.

November 28, 1940: Location of Tacoma Narrows Bridge wreckage identified

On November 28, 1940, the U.S. Navy's Hydrographic Office successfully identified the location of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge wreckage, noting it lay at a depth of 180 feet at specific geographical coordinates.

1940: Collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge

In 1940, the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge suffered a catastrophic structural failure, leading to its collapse and serving as a critical reference point for the structural design of similar bridges like the Bronx–Whitestone Bridge.

1940: Construction and Collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge

In 1940, the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge was completed and subsequently suffered a catastrophic structural failure, leading to its collapse. This historical event is now documented in the main gallery display at the Harbor History Museum.

1940: The 1940 Armistice Day Blizzard

In 1940, the same meteorological system that contributed to the destruction of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge moved across the Midwestern United States, triggering a lethal blizzard that resulted in the deaths of 145 individuals.

May 1943: Conclusion of Bridge Salvage Efforts

By May 1943, salvage operations for the collapsed Tacoma Narrows Bridge officially concluded, resulting in the determination by federal and state review boards that the structure could not be repaired and must be fully dismantled.

1943: Structural Reinforcement of Bronx–Whitestone Bridge

In 1943, following the design concerns raised by the 1940 collapse, 14-foot-high steel trusses were installed on the Bronx–Whitestone Bridge to provide weight and stiffness to mitigate bridge oscillation.

October 14, 1950: Opening of the Replacement Tacoma Narrows Bridge

On October 14, 1950, the replacement Tacoma Narrows Bridge officially opened to traffic, ten years after the original structure collapsed, with a length of 5,979 feet and an expanded capacity of more traffic lanes.

1950: Opening of the New Tacoma Narrows Bridge

In 1950, a replacement Tacoma Narrows Bridge was officially opened to the public at the original location, incorporating the previous bridge's salvaged tower pedestals and cable anchorages into its new design after years of delays caused by financial hurdles and the Second World War.

1950: Footage incorporated into Atom Man vs. Superman

In 1950, footage depicting the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge was utilized as part of the storyline for the first episode of the movie serial Atom Man vs. Superman.

Loading Video...

1950: Completion of the replacement Tacoma Narrows Bridge

In 1950, the replacement Tacoma Narrows Bridge was opened to traffic, featuring a deeper and heavier truss design as a direct response to the structural failures seen in the original 1940 bridge.

1991: Report on Misconceptions of Tacoma Narrows Bridge Failure

In 1991, Billah and Scanlan published a report highlighting that numerous physics textbooks, including those by Resnick et al. and Tipler et al., incorrectly attributed the 1940 Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse to forced mechanical resonance.

1991: American Journal of Physics article on bridge failure mechanics

In 1991, engineers K. Yusuf Billah and Robert Scanlan published an article in the American Journal of Physics, arguing that the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge was caused by wind-driven amplification of torsional oscillation rather than traditional resonance.

1998: Selection for the National Film Registry

In 1998, the film documenting the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse was honored by the Library of Congress, which selected it for preservation in the United States National Film Registry due to its historical and cultural significance.

2003: Physics Teacher article challenges resonance theory

In 2003, Bernard Feldman published an article in the Physics Teacher which concluded that the torsional oscillation observed during the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse did not exhibit resonance behavior in relation to wind velocity.

2003: Aerodynamic Retrofitting of Bronx–Whitestone Bridge

In 2003, the structural stiffening trusses added decades earlier were removed from the Bronx–Whitestone Bridge and replaced with modern aerodynamic fiberglass fairings to improve the structure's stability.

February 2019: Discovery of Arthur Leach's Tacoma Narrows Bridge footage

In February 2019, a rare film recording taken by civil engineer and toll collector Arthur Leach surfaced, providing one of the few known perspectives of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse from the Gig Harbor side. The film includes Leach's personal commentary as he attempted to stop traffic before the bridge succumbed to its structural instability.

2022: Economic Valuation of Salvage Losses

In 2022, the historical net loss of over $350,000 from the bridge salvage operations conducted during World War II was calculated to be equivalent to approximately $5,919,000.