Warning: Bridge collapsed Seattle to Vancouver

[wander]

Yes, but the alternate route to avoid the I-5 bridge is a number of miles on a 2 lane road with low speed limits in places. Considering that they say over 70,000 vehicles cross that I-5 bridge a day, re-routing to city and country streets will be possible but certainly will cause delays. Remember, many of those vehicles are semis. Depending on the time of day, suspect the delay will be well over 30 minutes, but very doable. It is not like you can just hope off the freeway for a couple of blocks and then hop back on.

 

However, I certainly agree that folks taking the HAL transfer bus from Sea Tac are fortunate as HAL will get them to the ship before it leaves.

 

After this weekend the whole traffic flow should be much better once detours and alternates are better known and better established, and the holiday weekend is over. Historically many, many folks drive between Canada and the US on Memorial Day weekend (and all other holiday weekends0.

 

I am NOT trying to be negative for folks making this trip, just wanting them to realize that it WILL increase the getting to the ship hassle factor manyfold. Leave plenty of time, take a few deep breaths and just go with the flow.

[SpokaneDan]

Thanks Wander, I will be driving through the area later this afternoon. Will try to post an update on the delay if I could.

[Cruising-along]

Yes, but the alternate route to avoid the I-5 bridge is a number of miles on a 2 lane road with low speed limits in places. Considering that they say over 70,000 vehicles cross that I-5 bridge a day, re-routing to city and country streets will be possible but certainly will cause delays. Remember, many of those vehicles are semis. Depending on the time of day, suspect the delay will be well over 30 minutes, but very doable. It is not like you can just hope off the freeway for a couple of blocks and then hop back on.......

 

Exactly. I've seen how the roads in Mt. Vernon and Burlington get backed up during the Tulip Festival (thank goodness this didn't happen then).

 

If this had happened at a different time of year, other than Alaska cruise season, this would only affect those of us who live here and rely on that bridge to get from point A to point B for work, to see family, etc.

[Once Upon A Time]

Hoping everyone traveling from Seattle to Vancouver arrived safe and sound.. I understand that traffic was even more impacted by someone who jumped from an overpass onto I-5 North of Seattle.. (so sad) :( That added to the bridge collapse made for a very long day for many people.

 

However.. on the bright side.. :DYou are all getting on your ships and heading out on a wonderful cruise. Bon Voyage :)

[superoma]

there are several easy, scenic roads to get around it .......

 

Sorry, off topic, but I love your CC name!!!!

[luvteaching]

Good morning,

 

We live just north of Burlington and were in the traffic yesterday. Knowing the back roads around some of the mess sure helped. The main detour was pretty backed up but it was moving - slowly. I went into Costco, which is normally very busy on a Friday afternoon, and it was very quiet and I walked right up to a checkstand. We met a friend for lunch and the restaurant (Panera Bread) was almost deserted. People aren't getting out of their cars and the locals don't seem to be coming in to town.

 

Amtrak has announced that they will be adding another morning train out of Seattle but just going to Bellingham. One could then possibly connect to shuttles into downtown Vancouver. It said the train would return to Seattle in the evening so a reverse shuttle/bus trip may be possible.

[Cruising-along]

Good morning,

 

We live just north of Burlington and were in the traffic yesterday. Knowing the back roads around some of the mess sure helped. The main detour was pretty backed up but it was moving - slowly. I went into Costco, which is normally very busy on a Friday afternoon, and it was very quiet and I walked right up to a checkstand. We met a friend for lunch and the restaurant (Panera Bread) was almost deserted. People aren't getting out of their cars and the locals don't seem to be coming in to town.

 

Amtrak has announced that they will be adding another morning train out of Seattle but just going to Bellingham. One could then possibly connect to shuttles into downtown Vancouver. It said the train would return to Seattle in the evening so a reverse shuttle/bus trip may be possible.

 

Thank you for the personal update! This doesn't surprise me, and it's sad that the local businesses will suffer. I'm heading up that way for lunch next week, staying away over the Memorial weekend. :)

[sail7seas]

We can only hope. The fact that this bridge was inspected recently and "passed" barely is not reassuring. They need to increase the standards used to judge these bridges. Here is part of a local newslink:

 

"The bridge was not classified as structurally deficient, but a Federal Highway Administration database listed it as being "functionally obsolete" — a category meaning that the design is outdated, such as having narrow shoulders and low clearance underneath.

The bridge, which was inspected last August and November, was built in in 1955 and had a sufficiency rating of 47 out of 100 at its November 2012 inspection, Transportation Department spokesman Noel Brady said Friday. The state average is 80, according to an Associated Press analysis.

Washington state was given a C in the American Society of Civil Engineers' 2013 infrastructure report card and a C- when it came to the state's bridges. The group said more than a quarter of Washington's 7,840 bridges are considered structurally deficient or functionally obsolete."

 

 

An overloaded truck with a wide load, traveling in the far right lane, hit a support girder. Had that truck been in the next lane over, it likely would have passed safely.

 

I read the driver was drug and alcohol tested and was clean. I also heard he has not (yet) been arrested.

 

The bridge was declared an obsolete design but was not declared nearly as unsafe as a great many other bridges in this country. There are many that, apparently, are far worse. :(

 

Those of you who live in the area....... Is what I wrote accurate? That is how the story has been told clear across country in Boston. :)

 

[Kman845]

Thanks everyone for the helpful information. My girlfriend and I are in SeaTac rite now awaiting the HAL/Princess shuttle to Vancouver. Glad we bought the transfer, originally I had a rental car.

 

Hope we get to the Zuiderdam by midnight. ;o)

 

Keith

[iancal]

I saw pictures of the damage to the top corner of the load. The damages are unbelievably minor. The metal sheathing on the load was bent in just a little at the top-not torn off at all. Judging by the damage to truck, it is amazing to me that the bridge collapsed.

 

Additionally, this truck has passed through the infrared height sensors and subsequently went into the highway scales prior to reaching the bridge. Apparently nothing was picked up as unusual or dangerous by either the infrared device or the manual scan at the weigh scale. This company apparently has a good record and is very much accustomed to hauling dimensional loads. And there was a local, Washington state, pilot car leading the way.

 

It will be very interesting to see the outcome of the investigation and the impact that it has on other similar bridges in the state. We spent many summers travelling throughout Washington state (it is our favorite) and these types of bridges-and of the same vintage- can be found everywhere.

[Himself]

How is this affecting the Quick-Shuttle between Sea-Tac and Vancouver?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Thanks everyone for the helpful information. My girlfriend and I are in SeaTac rite now awaiting the HAL/Princess shuttle to Vancouver. Glad we bought the transfer, originally I had a rental car.

 

Hope we get to the Zuiderdam by midnight. ;o)

 

Keith

It is my understanding that the Cruiselines are well aware of this causing a delay and are working with the ships to see how long they can delay departures. I expect most throughout the summer to have late departures our of Vancouver but they have to be careful with tides and going thru certain areas. I am also guessing there could be delays for Seattle as well although probably not as common as the Vancouver departures.

[baroness51]

I too live in Skagit County and the traffic will be a challenge. Yesterday which was the beginning of a holiday week end, the taffic was terrible. The detour we were on. The traffic heading north the delay was about an hour. The delay heading south was 3hours! The next few weeks will be interesting. There's just not that many roads they can divert cars and trucks onto. I5 is the only major road between Vancouver and Seattle. I would plan on adding at least 4 extra hours if your trip involves a transit between Vancouver and Seattle. Better to be early than late. Good Cruising All.....

[SpokaneDan]

My personal experience on Friday 5pm (Memorial day weekend).

-- Arrived Mt. Vernon on I 5 Northbound, took detour off ext. 226 (I think). total delay time approx. 40 min.

 

-- on the positive side, the Border crossing is unusually light (people are avoiding trips). Peach Arch was 15 min. wait. Pacific X (where all the buses go) has no wait.

 

Overall, not too bad, things are moving. Feel sorry for the local residents, we are clogging up their arterials.

[sail7seas]

I saw pictures of the damage to the top corner of the load. The damages are unbelievably minor. The metal sheathing on the load was bent in just a little at the top-not torn off at all. Judging by the damage to truck, it is amazing to me that the bridge collapsed.

 

Additionally, this truck has passed through the infrared height sensors and subsequently went into the highway scales prior to reaching the bridge. Apparently nothing was picked up as unusual or dangerous by either the infrared device or the manual scan at the weigh scale. This company apparently has a good record and is very much accustomed to hauling dimensional loads. And there was a local, Washington state, pilot car leading the way.

 

It will be very interesting to see the outcome of the investigation and the impact that it has on other similar bridges in the state. We spent many summers travelling throughout Washington state (it is our favorite) and these types of bridges-and of the same vintage- can be found everywhere.

 

 

Thanks for this information.

Really interesting.

It's going to be very hard to blame the trucking company or the driver with all that in their favor..... especially the infrared and a state police pilot car.

 

[LH25]

And there was a local, Washington state, pilot car leading the way.

 

I have heard a couple reports on our local news(out of Seattle) that witnesses report the pilot car's antenna was hitting the girders as it when through, which should have been a warning that the truck wouldn't fit. Not sure how true that is, but it's been on a couple of channels now.

[iancal]

It was a regular commercial pilot car, not a police pilot car.

 

There is an NTSB advice just out that this bridge had been clipped by trucks a number of times in the very recent past. Clearly there is a great deal of concern about the failure and other similar bridges. Don't need a repeat of the Minneapolis failure even though it was of a different design.

[Cruising-along]

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/State-DOT-sees-progress-on-collapsed-Skagit-I-5-bridge-209345031.html

 

They hope to have a temporary bridge in place by mid-June. That would be good, as school will be out around that time and more people traveling. If you have an Alaska cruise out of Vancouver, remember to add a little time to your trip. :)

 

I had to drive up there yesterday, my first time since this happened. The traffic was slow going along the detour, probably an extra 30-45 minutes for me. I went in the middle of a week day, so it was a lot lighter traffic than weekends or other times of the day.

 

Local restaurants are welcoming people with open arms, I've never felt so welcomed before. :D

[IRL_Joanie]

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/State-DOT-sees-progress-on-collapsed-Skagit-I-5-bridge-209345031.html

 

They hope to have a temporary bridge in place by mid-June. That would be good, as school will be out around that time and more people traveling. If you have an Alaska cruise out of Vancouver, remember to add a little time to your trip. :)

 

I had to drive up there yesterday, my first time since this happened. The traffic was slow going along the detour, probably an extra 30-45 minutes for me. I went in the middle of a week day, so it was a lot lighter traffic than weekends or other times of the day.

 

Local restaurants are welcoming people with open arms, I've never felt so welcomed before. :D

 

Holy Chimichangas.....45 minutes to go the little over what...2 mile detour???

 

Took us about 5 minutes to do the 1 exit detour. We thought it would be havy traffic but Nada..... 5 minutes max!! Perhaps mid morning on Memorial Day explains it. I do not know. But I am counting my blessings that we did not have any delays anywhere because I got to have another desert at Claim Jumper, as we killed about 4.5 hours before the airport and our 4:50 pm flight.:D:D

 

BTW, I am NOT denying your wait time as I had talked to a few people on Saturday who'd done the same route as we did going to Vancouver and that detour took them at minimum 30 minutes and a couple of folks said over an hour. Guess we hit it right with our timing *Thank You Lord!!*

 

Joanie

[SpokaneDan]

Memorial Day around Noon time, southbound took us 20+ minutes. it depends on the days and time of the day.

[Cruising-along]

Holy Chimichangas.....45 minutes to go the little over what...2 mile detour???

 

Took us about 5 minutes to do the 1 exit detour. We thought it would be havy traffic but Nada..... 5 minutes max!! Perhaps mid morning on Memorial Day explains it. I do not know. But I am counting my blessings that we did not have any delays anywhere because I got to have another desert at Claim Jumper, as we killed about 4.5 hours before the airport and our 4:50 pm flight.:D:D

 

BTW, I am NOT denying your wait time as I had talked to a few people on Saturday who'd done the same route as we did going to Vancouver and that detour took them at minimum 30 minutes and a couple of folks said over an hour. Guess we hit it right with our timing *Thank You Lord!!*

 

Joanie

 

You were lucky. :) It was probably closer to 30 minutes than 45, but my usual trip takes me 35 minutes from my house. This took over an hour. Cars were backed up so far at the traffic lights that it took forever to move a few feet. Bumper to bumper and at a crawl.

 

The good thing was people seemed to be patient and polite at 4-way stops etc.

[kristinp36]

We drove through southbound after our Alaska cruise. Hit the area around noon yesterday (Wed). Took marked detour from 1 exit before bridge and back on freeway 1 on ramp after bridge. Only took about an extra 15 minutes. We were very relieved!