Washington: I-5 bridge collapses into Skagit River; sends vehicles, people into water

[ronpaulfollower999]

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. -- The Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River collapsed Thursday evening, injuring an unknown number of people.

Both the northbound and southbound portions of the bridge dropped into the river sometime before 7 p.m., according to Washington State Patrol trooper Mark Francis.

Francis said several cars were on the bridge when it collapsed, and many are now in the water.

It's unclear how many people were injured or killed in the collapse.

http://media.komonews.com/images/130523_bridge_big.jpg

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Cars-bodies-in-Skagit-River-after-I-5-Bridge-collapse--208760201.html

Yeah, let's put another $1 billion into wars. No crumbling infrastructure here.

[ronpaulfollower999]

Here is Google Streetview of the bridge: http://goo.gl/maps/0o6KE

[Root]

But who will (re)build the roads???

[ronpaulfollower999]

Looking at weather obs around the estimated time of the bridge collapse, temperature was 54°, sunny, light winds. Not sure about water temperature.

[sailingaway]

woah.

[ronpaulfollower999]

Clearer picture:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BK_zZg4CcAM1YJl.jpg:large

[ronpaulfollower999]

Reporter at scene of Wash. bridge collapse says rescue boat has arrived, crews looking for people in the water

https://twitter.com/AP/status/337769149700902913

[sailingaway]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BK_9aV4CYAAab9n.png

http://t.co/othNmNOMP5

https://twitter.com/NewsBreaker/status/337767126062489601


I-5 bridge over Skagit River collapses, cars with people in water
Washington State Patrol confirms the I-5 bridge over the Skagit River in Mount Vernon has collapsed and at least two cars with people inside are in the water.

https://t.co/redirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.king5.com%2Fnews%2Fl ocal%2FReport-I-5-bridge-collapses-over-Skagit-River-cars-in-water-208758631.html&sig=4f9fbee6c346af3d4293799e7725257fa439373d

[sailingaway]

DaRevMedic ‏@DaRevMedic now
I-5 Bridge built in 1955, rated 57/100. Here's a link to the rating system: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Bridge/Reporting/BridgeRatings.htm …
#Skagitbridgecollapse

https://twitter.com/kxly4news/status/337768516042244096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BK_6nNUCMAAnPFW.jpg:large

https://twitter.com/KING5Seattle/status/337764048563220482/photo/1

seems no one needs air transport, two cars involved. Water looks fairly shallow.

[ronpaulfollower999]

Trying to listen to rescue scanner now: http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/ctid/2986/web

Sounds like everyone in one car was accounted for. They have plenty of boats searching the water.

Water depth is about 10 ft they just said.

[donnay]

I pray no one was killed. Geez this is one of my biggest concerns about going over these bridges. I have a good friend who is a bridge inspector and he told me 25 years ago, our bridges, in this country are in incredibly bad shape.

[juleswin]

Reason #12727 why I should learn how to swim. What terrible news, I hope nobody died

[sailingaway]

It seems like everyone is essentially fine. It wasn't a high bridge, and the water was pretty shallow. They were fortunate.

[sailingaway]

sarah hickman ‏@balooohalooo now
Holy shit. #skagitbridgecollapse Also, Snohomish County has hovercrafts? #fancy

[ronpaulfollower999]

People spotted in the water 1.5 miles from the collapse.

[ronpaulfollower999]

sarah hickman ‏@balooohalooo now
Holy shit. #skagitbridgecollapse Also, Snohomish County has hovercrafts? #fancy

Lol...I thought they were just joking.

http://www.billgillam.com/wp-content/squarespace/thumbnails/4704806-7247726-thumbnail.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=127597435 7109

Guess not.

[sailingaway]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BLACSmiCIAARNjJ.jpg:large

Highwayman39 Dave 14m
Boats rescuing at least 3 people from cars in the river #skagitbridgecollapse pic.twitter.com/8Rix9fCCzb

[sailingaway]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BLAD6_PCAAE6EX5.jpg:large

https://twitter.com/seventhdevin/status/337774283990368256/photo/1

[Anti Federalist]

The cost of 5 SWAT tanks would have fixed that bridge.

[Anti Federalist]

Lol...I thought they were just joking.

http://www.billgillam.com/wp-content/squarespace/thumbnails/4704806-7247726-thumbnail.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=127597435 7109

Guess not.

Plenty of toys to play with.

Not so much to fix shit.

[sailingaway]

there's a slideshow here: http://t.co/aNNjzXpl7c

[muh_roads]

Who needs American bridges? We have US contractors charging 10x more than they should to rebuild & fortify bridges overseas instead.

[RPfan1992]

I'm hearing that the bridge was obsolete. I also heard that the federal government said it was in satisfactory condition but the state inspection said that it wasn't in good condition.

[Icymudpuppy]

Sorry to be conspiratorial, but the democrats have been trying to raise transportation taxes ever since our new Governor took office, seems like a little too convenient timing wise.

[sailingaway]

I'm hearing that the bridge was obsolete. I also heard that the federal government said it was in satisfactory condition but the state inspection said that it wasn't in good condition.

I saw a tweet saying it was scheduled for repair but was 'rated 67 out of 100' ranking whatever that means.

[sailingaway]

Who needs American bridges? We have US contractors charging 10x more than they should to rebuild & fortify bridges overseas instead.

this.

[emazur]

"This was the result of a government regulated, unfree market" said no one on the news ever.

But maybe we'll hear that the destruction of the bridge was good for the economy b/c it provides jobs to repair it.

[JK/SEA]

Been over that bridge at least a hundred times. Its about 30 minutes from me. Water is 45 degrees...1 dead so far. Very fortunate only that many cars as rush hour was over. Water averages 20 feet at normal flow when no snow melt. This river is very fast even at low. Nasty. Here comes more gas tax.

[JK/SEA]

btw, Mt. Vernon is where Glenn Beck was born and raised....

[sailingaway]

Been over that bridge at least a hundred times. Its about 30 minutes from me. Water is 45 degrees...1 dead so far. Very fortunate only that many cars as rush hour was over. Water averages 20 feet at normal flow when no snow melt. This river is very fast even at low. Nasty. Here comes more gas tax.

One dead?

I'm really sorry to hear that. I had understood that people in the cars had been rescued and thought it was more a wake up call than a tragedy.

[Brian4Liberty]

Guess none of that stimulus money made into bridge repairs. But damn, we got some deluxe bus stops and new park bathrooms in other places.

[JK/SEA]

Now being reported by DOT that an oversize load hit an area of the bridge.

geez louise.

[JK/SEA]

This bridge was inspected in November. Passed.

[sailingaway]

Guess none of that stimulus money made into bridge repairs. But damn, we got some deluxe bus stops and new park bathrooms in other places.

and check out the hovercraft!

And never forget the tanks armored vehicles in Boston!

[Lafayette]

Now being reported by DOT that an oversize load hit an area of the bridge.

geez louise.


I find it hard to believe a truck hitting a part of the bridge was the cause unless, like has already been said, the bridge was in horrible condition already and in danger of collapse.

[sailingaway]

John Ekdahl, Jr. ‏@JohnEkdahl now
$712k in stimulus funded a grant to develop “machine-generated humor”, not the Washington bridge. #p2

[sailingaway]

NorthWest Cable News ‏@NWCN now
GOOD NEWS: Reports of NO DEATHS from #SkagitBridge Collapse! #I5BridgeCollapse LIVE: http://nwcn.tv/16dguuF
Retweeted by Redacted

don't know if that was from before or after you heard there was one death, it is a retweet.

[sailingaway]

John Ekdahl, Jr. ‏@JohnEkdahl now
$150k in stimulus to put up signs telling us they’re spending money, not the Washington bridge. #p2

John Ekdahl, Jr. ‏@JohnEkdahl now
$9.3 million in stimulus to fund the design of a colony of robotic bees, not the Washington bridge. #p2

[JK/SEA]

revised: No fatality.

It was reported that on one of the overturned cars there was a blanket on it covering a body. Probably from one of the survivors sitting on top of car keeping warm.

sooooooo, lucky. 70,000 cars a day on that thing.

[QuickZ06]

This bridge was inspected in November. Passed.

But, but, but, the government fixes everything!

[Anti Federalist]

Been over that bridge at least a hundred times. Its about 30 minutes from me. Water is 45 degrees...1 dead so far. Very fortunate only that many cars as rush hour was over. Water averages 20 feet at normal flow when no snow melt. This river is very fast even at low. Nasty. Here comes more gas tax.

30 years ago, I just missed this one by a day, southbound from Pt. Judith RI.

Mianus River Bridge

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_L5AKfmfJlHw/S5GzDxsSoSI/AAAAAAAAB04/5bGn3sStHb8/s400/mianus+bridge+collapse.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mianus_River_Bridge

[sailingaway]

https://twitter.com/cloneradio/status/337796832077963265

Rory Biller
‏@cloneradio
"We're being taxed to blow up bridges in Iraq and rebuild them, while ours at home are falling down" Ron Paul. I-5 Washington State

[Anti Federalist]

https://twitter.com/cloneradio/status/337796832077963265

Rory Biller
‏@cloneradio
"We're being taxed to blow up bridges in Iraq and rebuild them, while ours at home are falling down" Ron Paul. I-5 Washington State

Taxed and borrowing from China...

[sailingaway]

Photo Of Oversize Truck Believed To Have Hit I-5 Bridge Before It Collapsed Into The Skagit River (so it says, I haven't watched the whole thing)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCnF4bukAgg&feature=youtube_gdata

[SewrRatt]

I drove over the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis the day it collapsed. But I wasn't upset about it, basic infrastructure maintenance should take a back seat to our representatives spewing corporate welfare out of every orifice like a fire hose directly into the gaping maws of various zillion-dollar mega corporations. 'Murica

[Peace Piper]

Photo Of Oversize Truck Believed To Have Hit I-5 Bridge Before It Collapsed Into The Skagit River (so it says, I haven't watched the whole thing)


http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/7836/skagittruck.png

Good timing, right before Memorial Day. Anyone that wants to go from Seattle to Vancouver (or VV) will either have to add 4+ hours to their timetable (optimistically) or take the train. This won't be fixed in a few weeks.

Today was my lucky day. I'm visiting relatives and drove over that exact bridge 1 1/2 hours before the fall.

[paulbot24]

"You didn't build that."

[liberty2897]

Glad to hear that nobody was killed. I've been over that bridge several times.

What happened to all that money for fixing bridges?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44qRftnh-Z8

[JK/SEA]

Glad to hear that nobody was killed. I've been over that bridge several times.

What happened to all that money for fixing bridges?

]

it didn't need fixed. It was hit by an oversized load from a Canadian truck. The bridge was obsolete only because of traffic loads. The bridge design is sound, but you can't be slamming into it with heavy loads. The investigation has just started.

[TruckinMike]

Its the Truck drivers fault. For the next 3+ years every scale house in the nation will be making that claim. :rolleyes:

[AGRP]

Who needs adequate roads and bridges? We need new prisons and sports stadiums.

http://www.degreepivot.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/husky_stadium.jpg

[kathy88]

I pray no one was killed. Geez this is one of my biggest concerns about going over these bridges. I have a good friend who is a bridge inspector and he told me 25 years ago, our bridges, in this country are in incredibly bad shape.Yup. And they are all built by the lowest bidder.