MOUNT VERNON, Wash. - Federal officials were searching the country for a possible temporary replacement for a bridge that collapsed along the crucial Interstate 5 corridor, but Washington Gov. Jay Inslee cautioned Friday that major disruptions will last for weeks, if not months.
A truck hauling an oversized load of drilling equipment hit an overhead bridge girder Thursday night, sending a section of the highway into the river below. The truck driver watched helplessly as the structure collapsed in his rearview mirror. Two other vehicles plunged into the Skagit River, but all three occupants escaped with only minor injuries.
At a news conference, Inslee said federal officials were looking for a prefabricated structure to replace the 160-foot section that fell into the river. If one is found, a temporary fix could be in place in weeks. If one can’t be quickly secured, the governor said it could be months before a replacement can be built.
“You cannot overstate the importance of this corridor to Washington state,” Inslee said. Traffic on the interstate and surrounding roads was backed up for miles throughout the area, a situation that the governor said would continueindefinitely.
“There will be substantial delays,” he said. Cynthia Scott, the wife of truck driver William Scott, said Friday from the couple’s home near Spruce Grove, Alberta, that her husband saw the collapse.
“He looked in the mirrors and it just dropped out of sight,” Cynthia Scott said. “I spoke to him seconds after it happened. He was just horrified.”
The scene unfolded about 7 p.m. Pacific time on the north section of the four-lane Interstate 5 bridge near Mount Vernon, about 60 miles north of Seattle and 40 miles south of the Canada border.
The Washington State Patrol said the truck driver works for Mullen Trucking in Alberta. Scott voluntarily gave a blood sample for an alcohol test and was not arrested. The truck made it off the bridge and Scott remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.
The trucking company said it received a state permit to carry its oversized load across the bridge. Ed Scherbinski, vice president of Mullen Trucking, said the state Department of Transportation had approved of the company’s plan to drive the equipment along I-5 to Vancouver, Wash.
He also said the company hired a local escort to help navigate the route. The driver was well-experienced with handling oversized loads, he said.
Mike Allende, a state Transportation Department spokesman, confirmed the truck had its permit.
“We’re still trying to figure out why it hit the bridge,” he said. “It’s ultimately up to the trucking company to figure out whether it can get through. It’s their responsibility to make sure the load they have can travel on that route.”
Officials performed a special inspection six months ago of the bridge that collapsed because there were indications it had been struck by a different vehicle.
A report released Friday said the checkup was done because of “impact damage,” and inspectors identified tears, deformations and gouges on the northbound side of the bridge.The report also summarizes a variety of parts on the bridge that have been subjected to “high-load” hits. State officials did not respond to a phone call seeking more detail.
Dave Chesson, a state Transportation Department spokesman, said there were no signs leading up to the bridge warning about its clearance height.
Inslee - who issued an emergency proclamation for surrounding Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties - said it will cost $15 million to repair the bridge. The federal government has already promised the state $1 million in emergency funding.
Inslee talked to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray La-Hood on Friday morning. La-Hood is promising his full support to get Washington’s main north-south roadway repaired as quickly as possible.
The bridge is used by an average of 71,000 vehicles a day, so the roadblock will cause a major disruption in trade and tourism between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia.
The Washington Transportation Department has set up detours. The closest bridge nearby is mostly used for local traffic between Mount Vernon and Burlington. The department also is recommending detours using state Routes 20 and 9 that add tens of miles to a trip. Drivers are urged to avoid the area if possible, especially over the Memorial Day weekend.
Dan Sligh and his wife were in their pickup on I-5 heading to a camping trip when he said the bridge before them disappeared in a “big puff of dust.”
“I hit the brakes and we went off,” Sligh said from a hospital, adding he “saw the water approaching … you hold on as tight as you can.” Information for this article was contributed by Donna Gordon Blankinship, Gene Johnson and Terry Tang of The Associated Press.
Front Section, Pages 2 on 05/25/2013