I-5 Bridge Collapse

[carringb]

This might impact your travel plans....
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013...eople-in-water

[Gnarvan]

DANG.....That's messed up....

I've got to drive up to Seattle Sunday night. It's a good thing the broken bridge is north of where I have to go.

[larrie]

Spooky. Wonder how many other bridges have as bad a rating as that one. Never mind knowing would only make me worry about crossing them.

When I followed the link they had rescued three people from the river.

[ANZAC]

That bridge has always looked kinda rickety. They will detour people around it on SR-9.

Hopefully everyone is ok. There is speculation an oversized load on a semi struck a critical piece of it. (some TV stations have pics of the truck)

[Gnarvan]

I just read the bridge has an average of 71,000 vehicles a day cross over it. I bet some commuters who drive down to Seattle are going to be late for work today and probably for at least the next 6 months. From what I heard there are two other bridges to detour to. Neither one is an easy or fast detour.

[carringb]

Originally Posted by larrie

Spooky. Wonder how many other bridges have as bad a rating as that one.

Only a little under 800 in Washington state.

According to an analysis done by the Associated Press, the bridge had a sufficiency rating well below the state average. The bridge’s rating was 57.4 out of 100. The state average is 80. However, 759 bridges in the state have ratings below 57.4.

The Columbia River crossing in Portland is pretty much doomed in an earthquake. The entire thing sits on wood pilings floating in 60' deep mud (it's another 200' to bedrock).

[BajaSportsmobile]

I heard a fully loaded Sportsmobile had just driven over it...

[Gnarvan]

I drive across the I-5 Columbia river bridge quite a bit in my work truck. It really is a pretty spooky thing in a big truck. The bridge is a 3 lane in each direction bridge but the lanes are pretty narrow. I usually take the bridge at 50mph and stay in the right lane since I have to exit to the right on the second exit in Oregon. At that speed I never look at the right side of my truck to see how much room I have between my truck and the bridge. I stay totally focused on the white line on the left side of my truck. If I look at the right side of the truck my brain tells me I'm gonna hit the bridge and I'll drift out of my lane to the left. It's that close. I see other truckers drift out of their lane all the time on that bridge.

I cross the I-5 bridge around midnight, usually Wednesday and Thursday. If I was headed back to Portland during higher traffic times I'd take the I-205 bridge instead. The I-205 bridge is a new bridge with wide lanes and nice shoulders. There is no shoulder on the I-5 bridge over the Columbia River. It takes nerves of steel and big brass ones to take the I-5 bridge at speed with traffic in all 3 lanes.

[geoffff]

Originally Posted by Gnarvan

If I look at the right side of the truck my brain tells me I'm gonna hit the bridge and I'll drift out of my lane to the left. It's that close. I see other truckers drift out of their lane all the time on that bridge.

Thanks for the truck driver's perspective. Gives me more and more respect for what the drivers have to deal with. And I'll stay out of their way on narrow bridges!

-- Geoff

[depark]

It was hit by a Canadian Trucker!!!!! Here is a link to some info. http://www.castanet.net/news/World/9...ridge-collapse