Construction Begins on New I-5 Skagit River Bridge

Workers have begun construction on the new, permanent Skagit River Bridge on Interstate 5 north of Seattle following the collapse of a section in May.

Cranes and barges have been moved into place, and crews have begun driving piles that will hold work platforms to a temporary span that opened in June, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The four-lane, 160-foot replacement span will be constructed on one side of the temporary bridge and then moved into place with a system of rails.

The state transportation agency plans to move the new span into place sometime after Labor Day, closing I-5 for several days, WSDOT said.

Part of the I-5 bridge over the Skagit River in Mount Vernon, Wash., collapsed after it was hit May 23 by a truck carrying oversize equipment.

Prior to the accident, the bridge carried more than 70,000 vehicles a day, including about 8,000 commercial trucks, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.