Skagit River / I-5 bridge collapse

[bertvorgon]

Just a heads up to anyone traveling north or south on I-5, the bridge has collapsed at Mt Vernon.

This will be a major traffic nightmare for some time, as traffic will have to be diverted east and through a series of secondary roads/lights, to the next bridge to the east.

My thoughts go out to those that went into the river, hopefully there were no fatalities, to soon to tell.

[two_68_510s]

Is this infrastructure neglect like we have here in the States? For some reason I thought the Canadians paid better attention then we do.

[dp61]

It seems a truck carrying an oversize load hit the bridge, according to eyewitness accounts. This is going to make a mess of traffic in and around Mt. Vernon, Washington for the long weekend coming up! Truck carried on across the bridge ok, three people rescued from the water, no fatalities. Wow very lucky at 60 mph!

[defdes]

Is this infrastructure neglect like we have here in the States? For some reason I thought the Canadians paid better attention then we do.

I think this is in the US, or the border, isn't it?

[bertvorgon]

Yes, this bridge is in Washington State, USA, built in 1955. It had just gotten a C- from the engineers for being in bad shape, who had just finished an overall look at bridge/highway infrastructure in the state.

It is amazing there were no fatalities, so that is very good. It will be a traffic nightmare I would think, as the diversion to the up river bridge is a bit convoluted. Police have confirmed the bridge was struck by a south bound semi.

Joel, we have issues here with infrastructure too, some Provinces worse than others. Quebec comes to mind as there were issues of quality to start with, then many, many years of salt corrosion from harsh winters.

Here in Vancouver, while we have had some major upgrades to some highways and bridges, our general streets and highways are getting in rough shape, never seems to ne enough money to go around.

I will have to review my route that I had been thinking about to do the #20 Cascade highway for a 510 drive.

[two_68_510s]

I think if the aliens are watching they are scratching they brain containers wondering how we can be this stupid!!

[okayfine]

It had just gotten a C- from the engineers for being in bad shape

The last infrastructure survey in 2009 pegged bridges at a "C" overall, so it's only slightly worse than average.

[icehouse]

I wonder if the bridge scored an A if would have mattered?

I'm with FDR government should be the employer of last resort! Give Dave (pull a part king) and the other construction works some damn jobs! Shit now we are lucky if they even sign the highway bill.... Stupid gerry maundering giving us a do nothing congress......... Making our roads suck so our low cars are a bitch to drive around! Now this!

[okayfine]

I wonder if the bridge scored an A if would have mattered?

Probably not. Can't regulate/legislate stupidity, though they try.

[icehouse]

I wonder if the bridge scored an A if would have mattered?

Probably not. Can't regulate/legislate stupidity, though they try.

Seems odd that the dude that drives in front with the oversize load sign and the super tall antenna aka height gauge didn't notice anything....

[Byron510]

I head today on the radio that the truck was from Alberta....

It's also interesting that the truck and load that struck the bridge got across, but the cars behind the truck did not...

It's just damn lucky no one lost their life in this one. Most of the reports I've read so far are even stating no serious injuries. Man, people were driving off a bridge into a tangled mess of steel before hitting the water, that's a damn miracle no one got seriously hurt.

Well, hopefully this brings more business to one of my favorite Mexican restaurants not much of a stone throw away from this bridge in Mt Vernon – shameless plug – go to El Gitano – great little restaurant – mark that down for lunch Bert 

Byron

[bertvorgon]

I will, we stopped there once.

Once the pass is open, we will then look at that trip.