Skagit River Bridge In Washington State Collapses, No Fatalities

The Skagit River Bridge that crosses over the Washington state river collapsed Thursday evening after an oversized truck hit a steel span, reported the Detroit Free Press. Two vehicles were thrown into water, leading to the hospitalization of three individuals with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Washington State Patrol chief John Batiste.

Built in 1955, the 1,111-foot bridge, made of steel and concrete, is listed as "fracture critical" by the National Bridge Inventory, reported The Seattle Times. When a bridge is “fracture critical,” the destruction of one major part can collapse the entire structure. Conversely, bridges with redundant features can weather the damage of one major part and remain intact.

Husband and wife Dan and Sally Sligh were two of the individuals who were thrown from the Skagit River Bridge on Thursday. Dan, whose shoulder was dislocated during the incident, managed to keep his unconscious wife’s head above the water until rescue crews arrived on the scene. Another man managed to wait for help on the roof of his car.

The destroyed bridge is a part of Washington’s Interstate-5, which serves as the main route for those travelling between Seattle and Canada. Since the bridge will take weeks to be repaired and typically carries about 70,000 cars a day, its collapse will surely be a source of aggravation to commuters.

The National Transportation Safety Board has announced plans to conduct an investigation into the bridge collapse.

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