Victims families speak at I-35W bridge memorial [VIDEO]

Hundreds were on hand for the 35W Bridge Remembrance Garden dedication.

​After a long day of torrential downpours, the clouds parted over Gold Medal Park yesterday evening just for the dedication of the new I-35W bridge collapse memorial.

Emotions ran high as a representative for each of the 13 victims who died in the accident came onstage to eulogize their loved ones on the fourth anniversary of the tragedy.

In the 35W Bridge Remembrance Garden, each of the dead has their name inscribed on a steel beam, along with a short passage written by their families. The 181 survivors of the collapse also have their names written in the black granite wall of the memorial's waterfall, below a passage in stainless steel which reads:

Our lives are not only defined by what happens, but by how we act in the face of it, not only by what life brings us, but by what we bring to life. Selfless actions and compassion create enduring community out of tragic events.

Previous coverage:

• I-35W Bridge collapse survivor Mercedes Gorden shares recovery photos
• Betsy Sathers, bridge collapse widow, adopts Haitian twins
• 35W bridge collapse survivors and victims get settlement totals