Academic research
The collapse of the Cypress Viaduct during the Loma Prieta earthquake of October 17, 1989
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Where this source supports the record
Each entry separates the article’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.
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Engineering failures · 17 October 1989Open article references →
The Cypress Street Viaduct Collapse
Cypress Street Viaduct collapse zone and memorial park · United States
Why editors use it hereEngineering thesis examining the viaduct's design, seismic response, collapse mechanism, and resulting lessons.
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Quick read
When the magnitude 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake struck on 17 October 1989, a 0.7-mile section of Oakland's double-deck Cypress Street Viaduct collapsed.
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Trigger and conditions
At 5:04 p.m., shaking from the Santa Cruz Mountains reached the Bay margins.
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Uncertainty
Official sources sometimes report 41 rather than 42 Cypress deaths because of differences in attribution.
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Why it matters
The failure was not produced by shaking alone.
Reviewed 24 July 2026
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Quick read