The Washington State Department of Transportation is following through on several actions in response to last week’s tragic Minnesota bridge collapse.
Interim Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond directed Friday morning that WSDOT bridge engineers follow a technical advisory letter from FHWA recommending that WSDOT and all bridge owners should “review inspection reports, including those for routine, in-depth, fracture critical, and underwater, to determine whether more detailed inspections are warranted.”
“Motorist safety is our number one concern and bridge safety is an important aspect of that, but the incident this week emphasizes the need for continued diligence,” said Secretary Hammond. “It’s important for people to know that we did not wait until this disaster to inspect and maintain our bridges.”
All of Washington’s more than 7,000 bridges (approximately 3,000 state-owned and more than 4,000 locally owned) are inspected at least every other year. There are 48 steel deck truss bridges in Washington, 26 state-owned and 22 owned by cities and counties.
WSDOT crews have inspected 10 state-owned steel truss bridges within the past six months, including the Aurora Avenue Bridge in Seattle. The crews inspected 13 state-owned steel truss bridges in 2006. Three more steel truss bridges are scheduled for inspections this fall. The I-5 Ship Canal Bridge inspection begins Aug. 18.
Gov. Gregoire Thursday requested a report that WSDOT will send her today that outlines the most recent inspections conducted and the conditions of our bridges.
A copy of WSDOT’s annual “Bridge Assessment Report” is available on-line at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/publications/fulltext/bridges.pdf . The document, part of the quarterly Gray Notebook accountability report, includes detailed information on WSDOTs bridge inventory, the state’s bridge structural condition ratings, an overview of the state’s bridge preservation program, as well as updates on specific bridges of concern.
