Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 News just announced that the I-5 Bridge at Mt. Vernon, Washington has collapsed and at least two cars are in the water. What a way to start a big week end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clay Mosby Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 That's bad. I wonder if I went over that bridge last year when I was delivering to the Home Depot up there? (Or was it a Lowes, I can't remember!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted May 24, 2013 Author Share Posted May 24, 2013 Could be. Clay. There is only one major bridge across the skagit river and this one is it. Alternative routes to Canada and Bellingham will be either over a smaller bridge in Mt. Vernon or around through Eastern Washington. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badlands Bob #61228 Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 That's going to be a year long traffic jam. I hope everybody got of out those cars that went into the river. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted May 24, 2013 Author Share Posted May 24, 2013 Last report that there were two people in the water, sitting on top of their cars. One was rescued but the other is trapped in what appears to be a pick up truck. Truck cab is out of the water but I do not know if he is alive or not. A first responder is there but the driver is trapped in the cab and the current is becoming a factor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 Hope it all works out okay, prayers for that poor guy. Why did the bridge collapse? Was it old and crumbling? Sounds like a big lawsuit is coming. Rye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Dave Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 Prayers up for the victims and responders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted May 24, 2013 Author Share Posted May 24, 2013 Well, information is sketchy right now. Looks like no major injuries or fatalities, which is a miracle. Bridge was built in 1955 and had been inspected and given a poor rating. Wife just said that divers were in the water and so I donno. Reported 75,000 cars a day go over the bridge. The good news is that I can still get to Lake Sixteen and McMurray to fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Dave Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 Also good that you were not on that bridge when it collapsed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted May 24, 2013 Author Share Posted May 24, 2013 Also good that you were not on that bridge when it collapsed. Boy Howdy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 This shuts I-5 completely, until a new bridge is built. Think about that. The only alternatives are county roads and such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted May 24, 2013 Author Share Posted May 24, 2013 Hwy 9 has a two lane bridge just east of Mount Vernon/Burrlington. If you google map Mt. Vernon and go east you can see the size of that bridge. Eye witness says that an oversize truck hit the bridge and passed over it and then it collapsed. Big law suit here if that is what happened.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted May 24, 2013 Author Share Posted May 24, 2013 Update, PSE and Seattle City Light are closing down the dams upstream to lower the water, but that will take hours to affect the area of impact. It is raining now which may or not be an issue in the area, but the river appears to be moderate in height. Last week we had a warm spell and the runoff from the Cascades was quite high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted May 24, 2013 Author Share Posted May 24, 2013 Now there is a report that perhaps a 4th person might still be in the water. I can see gas taxes going up, AGAIN! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashpowder Hal Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 The eye witness saw the marker poles on the Pilot Car hit the bridges upper steel girders, But it was so close to the over-size truck it couldn't have stopped at 60+ mph. Law suits are comin' fer shure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted May 24, 2013 Author Share Posted May 24, 2013 Apparently everybody got out. Have not heard the news this morning. My daughter and S-I-L are going camping at Baker Lake this weekend with friends. Looks like a deeeeetour for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 The eye witness saw the marker poles on the Pilot Car hit the bridges upper steel girders, But it was so close to the over-size truck it couldn't have stopped at 60+ mph. Law suits are comin' fer shure Bear in mind that the trucking company probably only has a couple million limit on their insurance. Nowhere near enough to pay for a bridge, probably barely enough to pay for the vehicles and any personal injuries. Plus, the lawyers will take a big ol bite out of it. News reports I heard early was nobody was killed, which is a miracle in itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted May 24, 2013 Author Share Posted May 24, 2013 At least one of of the three people involved in the water, was released from the hospital today. His account was pretty hairy. His wife was unconscious and close to the water. He managed to get out on the running board and pull her to the drivers's side to keep her out of the water, which was waist deep in the cab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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