"None killed in Wash. bridge collapse; Truck bumped steel framework" by Manuel Valdes and Mike Baker | Associated Press, May 25, 2013
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — The trucker was hauling a load of drilling equipment when his load bumped against the steel framework over an Interstate 5 bridge. He looked in his rearview mirror and watched in horror as the span collapsed into the water behind him. Two vehicles fell into the icy Skagit River.
Amazingly, nobody was killed. The three people who fell into the water escaped with minor injuries.
Officials are trying to find out whether the collapse of a bridge on one of the West’s most important roadways was a fluke — or a sign of a bigger problem with thousands of bridges across the United States....
See: Thousands of bridges at risk of freak collapse
‘‘You cannot overstate the importance of this corridor to Washington state,’’ Governor Jay Inslee said. Traffic on I-5 and surrounding roads was backed up for miles, a situation that the governor said would continue indefinitely.
Officials were looking for a temporary, prefabricated bridge to replace the 160-foot section that failed, Inslee said Friday.
If one is found, it could be in place in weeks. If not, it could be months before a replacement can be built, the governor said.
The collapse unfolded about 7 p.m. Thursday....
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Related: Wash. bridge collapse caused by oversized load
Also see: Cleanup progresses on bridge wreck
"The federal government is expected to cover 90 percent of the cost of the temporary bridges and the replacement. Debbie Hersman, National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman, on Sunday said the bridge had withstood similar incidents, with the most recent reported last October. She said evidence of other collisions can be seen in the spans still standing over the water."
