I-5 Bridge Collapse at Mount Vernon, WA
We travelled over this bridge twice today on our way to Eastern Washington. We are now sitting by the fire in Eastern Washington (linked on-line to the world) and are horrified by what we are seeing....
Forum Discussion
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021046062_bridgesafetyxml.html
discusses the bridge design and how it was vulnerable to truck damage.
It mentions the Stillaguamish River crossing further south. The south bound bridge is a similar design. Damage there could have caused greater problems. Other than the north bound lanes, detours are further away. And it is higher above the river, so a fall could have been more deadly.
Looks like wsdot is revising the detour map
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/construction/pugetsound/today.htm
but according to this text description, they are routing a lot of traffic on to Riverside Drive bridge (old hwy 99). This is the shortest detour, and the bridge is a relatively modern 4 lane one.
They are also recommending the west detour (Best Rd and Fir Island Rd). There's a nice roadside market on that road.
Hwy 9 remains an option, but its bridge is only 2 lanes, and you have to go through the center of both Burlington and Sedrow-Woolley.
new detour map
discusses the bridge design and how it was vulnerable to truck damage.
It mentions the Stillaguamish River crossing further south. The south bound bridge is a similar design. Damage there could have caused greater problems. Other than the north bound lanes, detours are further away. And it is higher above the river, so a fall could have been more deadly.
Looks like wsdot is revising the detour map
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/construction/pugetsound/today.htm
but according to this text description, they are routing a lot of traffic on to Riverside Drive bridge (old hwy 99). This is the shortest detour, and the bridge is a relatively modern 4 lane one.
They are also recommending the west detour (Best Rd and Fir Island Rd). There's a nice roadside market on that road.
Hwy 9 remains an option, but its bridge is only 2 lanes, and you have to go through the center of both Burlington and Sedrow-Woolley.
new detour map
