An Interstate 5 bridge over a river collapsed yesterday evening, dumping two vehicles into the water and sparking a rescue effort by boats and divers who searched the chilly waterway in Skagit County, north of Seattle. Authorities said it appeared nobody was killed, but three people were injured in the bridge failure that raised the question about the safety of aging spans and cut off the main route between Seattle and Canada. "We don't think anyone else went into the water," said Marcus Deyerin, a spokesman for the Northwest Washington Incident Management Team. Three people were reported in stable condition at local hospitals.
A portion of the four-lane bridge over the Skagit River collapsed about 7pm, said a state trooper. At a press conference, authorities said a semi truck struck the bridge, which was about 50 feet above the water, causing the collapse. Witnesses tell Northwest Cable News they saw the truck, which was carrying an oversize load, hit the bridge's beams shortly before the collapse. The bridge is not considered structurally deficient but is listed as being "functionally obsolete"—meaning that the design is outdated, according to a database compiled by the Federal Highway Administration. The bridge was built in 1955 and has a sufficiency rating of 57.4 out of 100, according to federal records—well below the statewide average rating of 80, per AP data. (More Skagit County stories.)
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