Crosswind on “Mile-Long Bridge”

Signs are posted and a wind sock is blowing to alert drivers that weather conditions could make driving hazardous when traveling across the “Mile-Long Bridge” over the Des Moines River at Red Rock Lake.

• How can the bridge be made safe enough to drive across when it is windy?

• Why does it feel so windy when driving across the bridge?

Students could:

• Brainstorm ways that the bridge could be made safe for travel.

• AccuWeather | How are US bridges built to withstand powerful winds, hurricanes and earthquakes?: This site describes how bridges are built to withstand hazardous weather.
• Research Gate | Windbreak protection for road vehicles against crosswind: This article for educators explains a study done about porous windbreaks that were installed on bridges to reduce the amount of crosswind
• WHO TV: Strong winds topple semi on “Mile-Long Bridge”: News story describing a semi that overturned due to strong winds on Saylorville Lake’s “Mile-Long Bridge.”