July, Aug. 2002: Two bridges in Central China collapse, killing a combined 19 people. Sept. 2001: The Queen Isabella Causeway in Texas collapses after a tow boat captain loses control of a string of barges and currents drive them into a bridge support.
The average flying time for a direct flight from Bemidji, MN to Chicago is 1 hour 36 minutes; Most direct flights leave around 9:36 CST
It's easier for the airlines to say 3 hours than it is to say if you're flying out of BWI, 90 minutes is plenty of time because there are limited international flights there, if you're going out of IAD where there are 20 international flights around the same time 3 hours is barely enough.