SEATTLE – The bridge collapse that sent three people and several vehicles plunging into the Skagit River Thursday is a wakeup call for the nation, according to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.
The chairman of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said officials need to study the Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River carefully and learn from its collapse in order to prevent similar incidents.
Debbie Hersman said her team will spend a week to 10 days in the area looking at the bridge, talking to the truck driver whose vehicle hit it, and examining maintenance documents and previous accident reports.
Hersman does not expect the investigation to delay removal of debris from the river or work on a temporary solution to replace or repair the I-5 span.
The potentially-deadly collapse was caused when a semi towing a drilling rig driven by an Alberta trucker caught on the superstructure of the bridge, according to officials.
The collapse sent three people into the frigid waters of the river, including 20-year-old University of British Columbia student Bryce Kenning.
“The first thing I tried to do was get out of my driver’s side door, and it wouldn’t open,” he said. “At this point it was almost completely submerged in water. Second thing was the windshield, I tried to kick it out, but that was almost completely submerged in water as well.”
Kenning was able to climb out of the window on to the roof of his orange Subaru and waited for the rescue boats.
According to Lifesaving Resources, in order to escape a vehicle that has been submerged in water the window has to be opened or broken.
Doors to vehicles are usually impossible to open because of water pressure.
The Washington State Department for Transportation updated the alternate routes for drivers travelling through the area Saturday afternoon.
Full list of alternate routes:
Northbound I-5 Primary Detour
Use exit 227 and follow signs east to State Route 538/East College Way, turn left onto Riverside Drive then left onto George Hopper Road and back to I-5.
Northbound I-5 Alternate Detour
Use exit 226 and follow signs west to State Route 536/East Kincaid Street. Continue on SR 536, then turn right onto SR 20 and back to I-5.
Southbound I-5 Primary Detour
Use exit 229 and follow signs east onto George Hopper Road. Next, head south on Riverside Drive/Burlington Boulevard, then turn right onto State Route 538/East College Way and back to I-5.
Southbound I-5 Alternate Detour
Use exit 230 and follow signs west to State Route 20/Avon Cutoff then south onto Avon Allen Road. From there, head east on State Route 536/Memorial Highway and back to I-5.
Anacortes Ferry Terminal Detour
Northbound I-5 Detour
Use exit 226 and follow signs west to State Route 536/East Kincaid Street. Continue on SR 536, then turn left onto SR 20 and follow signs to the Anacortes Ferry Terminal.
With files from the Canadian Press
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