Advice for bypassing Skagit River Bridge?

Jarlaxle wrote:
Hmm...here's a question: why not see if the Corps of Engineers can put a temporary floating bridge (as used my the military to cross a river) up to replace the collapsed span until it can be rebuilt?

Trust me, Washington state knows floating bridges. They have built five (and sank two). I-90 crosses Lake Washington on one, as does Wash-520, Wash 104 crosses Hood Canal (a Fjord off Puget Sound).

Part of the first Hood Canal bridge sank 30 odd years ago, the engineers wanted to add generators as back-up power for the sump pumps. The pencil pushers in Olympia decided that the bridge didn't loose power often enough. Forgetting that it usually lost power in major storms, when wind was blowing waves over the bridge and rain added even more water...

In 1990 the I-90 bridge was being rebuilt. The pencil pushers in Olympia decided to save money by using the pontoons to capture the waste water from demolition (it was classed a hazardous waster). That worked fine until there was another major storm, adding waves and rain to the pontoons (which couldn't be pumped out, due to the "waste").

Jarlaxle wrote:
Hmm...here's a question: why not see if the Corps of Engineers can put a temporary floating bridge (as used my the military to cross a river) up to replace the collapsed span until it can be rebuilt?

A floating bridge wouldn't work in this case as the roadbed is about 25 feet above the river, and only 1 of I believe 3 spans came down. It has been announced though that there is a plan for a temporary span to be installed and have the bridge reopened by mid-June.

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Jarlaxle wrote:
Hmm...here's a question: why not see if the Corps of Engineers can put a temporary floating bridge (as used my the military to cross a river) up to replace the collapsed span until it can be rebuilt?

Because people are too stupid to observe the speed limit and that is not very high when crossing it.

Hmm...here's a question: why not see if the Corps of Engineers can put a temporary floating bridge (as used my the military to cross a river) up to replace the collapsed span until it can be rebuilt?

From the start investigators have been saying the truck driver stopped and has been talking with them since the bridge collapsed.

Today the lead investigator for the NTSB announced that they are "seeking to interview the driver of the pilot car".

My guess is she has "lawyered up"

Yes, I noticed that they have decided the Fir Island route isn't a viable alternative. I don't think being detoured around and coming cover the West Mt. Vernon bridge is viable, especially not for trucks. Should be an interesting time for everyone.

Barb

The folks at WS-DOT have adjusted the detours several times now, they are also working on the signal timing to assist.

The news on Sat had a copy of the over-size permit the trucking company filed, it listed the load height as 15ft 9inches.

Only WS-DOT says the height of the bridge was 15ft 6 inches.

Interesting in that they have decided that having people use the Fir Island bridge now isn't viable. That was what they were advising yesterday and I know that the Fir Island bridge isn't that great - we take that when going to LaConnor and even with no other traffic on the bridge I don't feel that comfortable coming across it.


To the OP, where in Washington are you going? If going to Seattle and points south, get off at Cook Road (there is an exit for it), go east on Cook Road until you get to the stop light at SR20 (you come around a corner), turn right at the stop light, get in the left lane and take a left onto SR 9 and follow it down to Snohomish, pick up US Highway 2 and take that west back to I-5. Don't go very fast, but SR 9 is often used by truckers going north. It is the road you get if you cross the border at Sumas.

Barb

Pangaea Ron wrote:
Here's the latest information.

WA DOT Detour Route

X-2, That Canadian Trucker that took the bridge down with his oversize load, his Insurance Company is getting a $15 million bill to fix the portion that's in the River.