Washington State bridge

[Alan Marsden]

I'm wondering if Frank can tell us anything about the callapse yesterday of the Washington State bridge , it must be close to Anacortes where he lives ?

[Spitfire]

I'm wondering if Frank can tell us anything about the callapse yesterday of the Washington State bridge , it must be close to Anacortes where he lives ?

According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, a truck had crashed into the bridge and that was the probable reason for it`s collapse. It`s quite amazing that there were no reported casualties.

[anacortesdamp]

You're correct, Alan. Anacortes is 21 miles west of the bridge that went down and we used it quite regularly. It was a steel truss bridge, originally built in 1955 as part of the construction of the Interstate highway. The AP report that The Guardian picked up said the bridge "connected Seattle with Canada". Since Seattle is 140 miles from the US/Canada border, that would have been some bridge! It is one of many similar bridges on I-5, and that freeway actually connects Mexico with Canada.

The bridge had (I think) 5 sections - maybe 6. there were transition sections between the shore at each end and a flat section of 3 or 4 bays on piers in the river. The section that collapsed is the northern transition section. It sheared off cleanly at its attachment at the first pier and the rest buckled and detached from the shore.

The wreck was caused by an over-height truck, which clipped the outer section of an overhead beam in the structure. The truck, and a car that was immediately behind it, made it off the bridge before the collapse. A couple in a pick-up truck towing a caravan and a college student in a small car went into the river with the bridge.

The student and the man driving the pick-up were both interviewed on the TV news last night.The student said that the section he was on dropped so quickly that his car was airborne when it plunged into the water. The man driving the pick-up said they actually rode the wreckage of the bridge into the river. He dislocated his shoulder, but reset it himself so he could help his wife. He's ex-military - US Navy, I think. All three people were rescued with just minor injuries. The two men were released from hospital the next morning. The woman was kept in 24 hours longer for observation.

The highway carries an average of 75,000 vehicles a day, so you can imagine how chaotic it is on the streets nearby. We locals know all the options, of course, but the non-local traffic is being sent on some interesting diversionary routes. Quiet country lanes aren't quiet any longer and the main roads in Mount Vernon and Burlington are clogged just about solid. One report yesterday said it was taking 75 minutes to get from the exit just north of the collapse to the one just south of it. On the freeway, that was 3 miles!

We went into MV yesterday morning and one of the country roads that meets highway 20 on our way had a 3-mile back-up at the traffic light. In normal circumstances, a three vehicle back-up would be cause for comment. The highway authorities are going to have to re-program the priority algorithms in those traffic lights.

The State DOT is talking about a temporary bridge across the river while the collapsed portion is removed and replaced, but no details yet. They have ruled out a totally new bridge. They estimate a "Bailey bridge" can be put in by the middle of July, but reconstruction of the collapsed section will probably take to close to the end of the year.

I'll post any new developments as they occur. We have news helicopters from the three major TV stations in Seattle flying around the area for hours! If those of you with the ability to get US TV to work on your computers want to see video and get the local (well, 90 miles away) viewpoint, the station websites are komonews.com, king5.com and kirotv.com. There's also Northwest Cable News, an all-news channel with a website nwcn.com

[Alan Marsden]

Frank , thanks for the information . In 1980/81 I was worked in an office in Richmond B.C..designing final assembly tooling for the then new B767, I drove (usually bi weekly) southwards to attend project concurrance meetings at Boeing Everett . I don't recall driving over this bridge , is it not on the main Vancouver to Seattle road , or could I perhaps forgotten , it was of course ,33 years ago ?

[anacortesdamp]

Yes, Alan it is part of I-5 and the bridge was built in 1955. I'm not sure if that section of I-5 was built then, as I remember having to use US-99 when driving up to the border through that area when we first came over in 1968. US-99 became Burlington Boulevard and crossed the river on a narrow 2-lane trestle. Farther north, it crossed the railroad tracks on a wooden trestle that is till in use. I think that section of I-5 through Mount Vernon and Burlington opened in about 1970.

This morning, Wash-DOT announced that the section of the bridge next to the one that fell has also suffered damage. It looks like it got dinged by falling debris from the collapsing section. A local salvage company is already under contract and is moving equipment in to remove the fallen section.

Frank

[Alan Marsden]

Frank, is the bridge near Bellingham ?

[anacortesdamp]

Alan:

About 30 miles south of Bellingham between exits 227 and 229 on the Freeway. Beliingham's downtown exit is 255. There are a couple of other steel truss bridges between.

[ashtrans]

Have sent you a PM.

[anacortesdamp]

Got the PM, have replied, also have had a message from Rachel.

Frank