Skagit River Bridge Collapse

Mt. Vernon I-5 Skagit River Bridge.  Photo credit KING TV.

The spectacular collapse of the Mt. Vernon Skagit River Bridge late this afternoon happened about an hour and a half drive from us, but it is a bridge I have crossed many times. We were not in the area when it collapsed. The section that fell into the river is approximately 54 feet wide, and 160 feet long, carrying four lanes of traffic.

They are reporting no fatalities, and possibly no major injuries, although three people were helicoptered to the hospital. It is being reported that a large semi truck with a large oversize load hit the inside of the bridge structure, and the bridge collapsed almost instantly. There are no other large bridges in the area, and the bridge carries over 71,000 vehicles per day, so traffic is going to be a mess for some time.