I-5 Bridge Cleanup Continues; Trucking Company May Be Liable for Damage
Workers are continuing to remove pieces of the downed Interstate 5 bridge north of Seattle as federal investigators probe the accident that caused it to collapse, and the trucking company that apparently caused the accident may have to pay for the damages, news services reported.
Washington state officials are waiting until the National Transportation Safety Board finishes its investigation of the May 23 accident, and won’t attempt to collect damages from Alberta, Canada-based Mullen Trucking Co. unless negligence is determined to be a factor, the Everett (Wash.) Herald reported.
Preliminary investigations showed that a Mullen truck carrying oversized equipment hit a truss on the Skagit River Bridge, causing part of it to collapse and sending two other vehicles into the water. No one was seriously injured.
An NTSB investigator traveled to Mullen’s headquarters in Aldersyde, Alberta, this week to gather information about the truck that was carrying the oversize load, the Associated Press reported.
Washington state is spending about $10 million to clear bridge debris and install a temporary bridge, which officials hope to have in place this month, and at least $5 million more will be needed to pay for a permanent four-lane section to be put in place this fall, the Herald reported.
I-5 is the West Coast’s main north-south highway, and more than 70,000 vehicles cross the bridge daily, including an estimated 7,800 trucks.
