If the bridge is nicknamed 'Galloping Gertie,' I would definitely hesitate to cross it. Yet in 1940, people did cross that bridge. They even paid a toll.

Yesterday, November 7, marked the 86th anniversary of the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, also known as Galloping Gertie. It opened on July 1, 1940, and fell on November 7, giving it a lifespan of just 129 days.

Even the warranty period for an average refrigerator is longer than that. What's even more absurd is that at the time of its opening, it was the third-longest suspension bridge span in the world.

There were signs of trouble even before it opened. According to the WSDOT (Washington State Department of Transportation) timeline, workers laying the deck in May 1940 already noticed the swaying.

The nickname was reportedly given by the construction workers. Even with hydraulic devices installed, it was useless, and the cables meant to hold the deck snapped.

The story goes back to the design phase. Washington State engineer Clark Eldridge's original plan was to use a truss 25 feet deep, which means a triangular steel frame supporting the deck from below.

However, the famous designer Leon Moisseiff, who came in as a consultant, suggested changing this to an 8-foot steel plate. Who wouldn't be swayed by the claim that the estimated cost would drop from $11 million to $7 million?

The final construction cost was recorded at $6.4 million. In exchange, the bridge became as flimsy as a noodle. It was 39 feet wide with two lanes, and the width-to-main span ratio was 1 to 72, while the Golden Gate Bridge was 1 to 47.

That said, it's hard to label Moisseiff as a fool. At the time, the engineering community largely overlooked the forces that wind could exert on the deck, and WSDOT describes this as a blind spot for the entire industry.

Later, Professor Farquharson from the University of Washington conducted wind tunnel tests with a model and even proposed a device to allow the wind to pass through. Those tests concluded on November 2, just five days before the collapse.

On November 7 at 9:30 AM, wind speeds reached 42 miles per hour. Some sources note it as 40 miles per hour, but either way, it was far from hurricane-level winds.

At 10:03 AM, the swaying deck began to twist. As one side went down, the other side went up, and within four minutes, the angle reached 45 degrees.

At that moment, Leonard Coatsworth from the local newspaper News Tribune was driving on the bridge. His daughter's cocker spaniel, Tubby, was in the back seat.

Unable to drive any further, he got out to escape. He tried to go back for Tubby but gave up due to the shaking, and fellow photographer Howard Clifford also attempted to leave but turned back.

The last person to open a car door was Professor Farquharson. Terrified, Tubby bit the finger of the person who came to rescue him. The next day, a photo of the bandaged finger appeared in the newspaper, leaving one to wonder whether to laugh or cry.

At 11:02 AM, a 600-foot section fell away, and by 11:08 AM, the last section collapsed. Fortunately, no one was killed. The only casualty that day was Tubby.

Later, the state authorities compensated Coatsworth with $450 for the car and $364.40 for the items inside. Tubby was included in that 'item.' It feels a bit unfair.

The collapse was filmed by Barney Elliott and Harbine Monroe, who owned a camera shop, and this footage was added to the National Film Registry in 1998.

My favorite anecdote is about a bank billboard that read "As secure as the Narrows Bridge," which was covered with white paper less than an hour later.

So why did it collapse? For a long time, it was cited as a classic example of resonance in textbooks. However, since the 1991 paper by Billah and Scanlan, explanations focusing on torsional flutter have gained traction.

Resonance is like someone pushing a swing in rhythm. Flutter is when the swing generates the force to push itself as it moves. The wind merely provides the fuel.

WSDOT notes that experts still disagree on the specific causes. Issues like the central cable band slipping, vortices, and flutter are all mentioned. I find this more credible than a single-word explanation.

The new bridge opened on October 14, 1950. It incorporated a 33-foot truss beneath the deck and included gaps for wind to escape between the four lanes.

According to WSDOT data, it is 58 times sturdier than the 1940 bridge. From 1941 to 1947, over $88,000 was spent on wind and structural testing.

Thanks to this incident, bridges funded by federal money now undergo wind tunnel analysis with 3D models during preliminary design. The embarrassment from 86 years ago has become a regulation.

The underwater wreckage was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992 and has become one of the world's notable artificial reefs. The failed bridge has turned into a national landmark and a fish apartment.

Today, the 1950 bridge handles traffic heading west, while the 2007 bridge takes care of the eastbound traffic. If I were to cross this bridge today, I would first think of Tubby before complaining about the toll.

Ultimately, engineers generally believe that if Eldridge's hefty truss had been built, it would have withstood the wind. It seems that being slim is not free for either people or bridges.

So, I plan to be suspicious of anything with a nickname in the future. While a fast car might deserve a nickname, calling a bridge 'galloping' is not a compliment.