Skagit River Bridge reopens today on Washington's I-5 highway

The Skagit River Bridge will reopen today (Wednesday, June 19) and the speed limit on the bridge will be reduced to 40 miles per hour, announced Washington State governor Jay Inslee on Tuesday.

The reconstructed bridge will have a four-lane span and a ban on trucks carrying excessively large cargo, reports the Everett Herald. Its previous speed limit was 60 miles per hour.

The bridge collapsed on May 23 and caused massive delays for the estimated 71,000 vehicles per day that travel the Interstate-5 between British Columbia and Seattle.

When the bridge collapsed, three people in two vehicles tumbled into the river, although no major injuries were reported. The collapse was caused when an Alberta trucker clipped part of the "structurally deficient" bridge.

Travis Phelps, a spokesman for Washington Department of Transportation, said trucks that require a special permit to travel on state highways (due to their height, width, weight, or length) will be banned from the bridge.

"If you're getting a permit to drive on the highway, you won't be going over this bridge," said Phelps. "You'll be using the detour routes."

Source: http://www.abbynews.com/news/212101261.html

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