List of Washington state bridge failures

Washington is a state with many bodies of water to cross, including Puget Sound, Hood Canal, the Columbia River and numerous smaller rivers and creeks. It has experienced a number of bridge failures before and after the well known Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse in 1940.

Causes

The single greatest cause of failure in Washington has been flooding, frequently associated with severe storms, which then results in destructive bridge scour.[1][2][3] According to University of Washington meteorologist Cliff Mass, Western Washington is "particularly vulnerable to such bridge losses, with long floating bridges and the powerful winds associated with our terrain and incoming Pacific cyclones."[3]

Causes of failure, 1923–1998[a]
Cause Number of failures
Flood 42
Fire 8
Volcanic mud and debris 5
Collision 4
Storm 3
Overload 3
Tsunami 2
Wind 1
Unknown 2

List of bridge failures

Bridge failures 1905–2014[b]
Bridge name Year
built 		Date of
destruction 		Feature Crossed Notes
I-5 Skagit River Bridge 1955 May 23, 2013 Skagit River Cause: Collision—Truck struck arch with fracture critical design, causing structural failure[5]
Dry Creek Bridge Unknown Aug 21, 2009 Dry Creek
Omak Bridge 1911 1911 Okanogan River Steel swing bridge collapsed when first tested.[6][7]
Fourth Avenue Bridge (Olympia) 1905 Mar 15, 1915 Budd Inlet
(Puget Sound)		 Cause: Collapse of drawbridge following sinking of piers[8]
Fourth Avenue Bridge (Olympia) 1919 Sep 11, 2001 Budd Inlet
(Puget Sound)		 Cause: Earthquake—2001 Nisqually earthquake[9][10]
Nolan Creek Bridge 1931 Dec 15, 1999 Nolan Creek
Carbon River Bridge 1921 Mar 4, 1998 Carbon River Cause: Fire—Wooden deck and wooden approach arch burned following vehicle collision[c]
Naches River Bridge 1938 Feb 9, 1996 Naches River
Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge 1940 Nov 25, 1990 Lake Washington Cause: Storm—Severe windstorm and human error caused flooding of pontoons
Carbon River Bridge 1971 Nov 24, 1990 Carbon River
Nooksack River - Nugents Bridge 1946 Nov 10, 1989 Nooksack River
Skokomish River Bridge 1927 Oct 4, 1984 Skokomish River
North Fork Toutle River-Coalbanks 1972 May 18, 1980 N. Fork Toutle River Cause: Flood—Mud and debris following 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens[d]
Alder Creek Bridge 1954 May 18, 1980 Alder Creek
St. Helens Bridge 1949 May 18, 1980 Toutle River
Coldwater Creek Bridge 1933 May 18, 1980 Coldwater Creek
North Fork Toutle River Bridge 1938 May 18, 1980 N. Fork Toutle River
Russell Barker Memorial Bridge 1925 Dec 14, 1979 Bogachiel River
Teanaway River Bridge 1922 Nov 28, 1979 Teanaway River Bridge
Little Naches River Bridge 1928 Aug 20, 1979 Little Naches River
Hood Canal Bridge 1961 Feb 13, 1979 Hood Canal Cause: Storm—February 13, 1979 windstorm
Johnson Creek Bridge 19 Oct 1, 1978 Johnson Creek
Goat Creek Bridge 1922 Dec 3, 1977 Goat Creek
Bear Canyon 1936 Dec 2, 1977 Bear Creek
Creek Unknown Dec 2, 1977 Creek
Satus Creek Bridge 1959 Jan 19, 1974 Satus Creek Cause: Flood—Floodwaters from January 17 event broke through ice jam on January 19. U.S. Highway 97 and many county roads cut; White Swan unreachable by road; entire county declared Federal disaster area.[15]
Satus Creek Third Crossing 1942 Jan 19, 1974 Satus Creek
Satus Creek Fourth Crossing 1942 Jan 19, 1974 Satus Creek
Satus Creek First Crossing 1942 Jan 19, 1974 Satus Creek
Klickitat River Bridge 1954 Jan 19, 1974 Klickitat River
Coal Creek Bridge 1945 Feb 4, 1971 Coal Creek
Dry Creek Bridge Unknown Jan 1, 1971 Dry Creek
Columbia River Bridge, Brewster 1927 Aug 5, 1968 Columbia River Cause: Fire—Welding torch ignited wood deck, heat weakened steel, causing structural failure[11]
Cowlitz River - Nesika Unknown Nov 1, 1967 Cowlitz River
Lake Creek 1950 Nov 15, 1966 Lake Creek
Scatter Creek Bridge 1932 Jan 29, 1965 Scatter Creek
Smith Creek Bridge Unknown June 1, 1964 Smith Creek
Copalis River Bridge 1952 Mar 27, 1964 Copalis River
Joe Creek Bridge 1953 Mar 27, 1964 Joe Creek
Chow Chow Bridge 1952 1964, 1973, 1988 Quinault River Collapsed three times. Was an early cable-stayed bridge design on the Quinault Indian Reservation near Taholah, one of the first cable-stayed bridges in the U.S.[16] Timbers made into cedar shakes for tribal center in Taholah after 1988 collapse.[17]
Rocky Creek Bridge 1947 Nov 19, 1962 Rocky Creek
Gallup Creek Bridge 1956 Nov 19, 1962 Gallup Creek
Peshastin Creek 1923 Nov 20, 1959 Peshastin Creek
Salmon Creek Bridge 1927 Jan 5, 1956 Salmon Creek Cause: Bridge scour—Floating tree lodged under pier. Bridge collapsed 13 days after U.S. Highway 99 was opened.[2]
South Prarrie Creek Bridge 1941 Dec 11, 1955 South Prarrie Creek
Snake River at Burbank 1920 Sep 9, 1949 Snake River
Salmon Creek Bridge 1927 Feb 23, 1949 Salmon Creek
Robinson Creek Br. Unknown June 14, 1948 Robinson Creek Cause: Flooding[e]
Lost River Bridge Unknown June 14, 1948 Lost River
Methow River Bridge 1918 June 14, 1948 Methow River
Little Boulder Creek Bridge Unknown June 14, 1948 Little Boulder Creek
Chewuck River Bridge Unknown June 14, 1948 Chewuck River
Methow River at Winthrop 1933 June 14, 1948 Methow River
Methow River Bridge at Twisp 1931 June 14, 1948 Methow River
Methow River Bridge 1939 June 14, 1948 Methow River
Methow River Bridge 1939 June 14, 1948 Methow River
Methow River Bridge 1933 June 14, 1948 Methow River
Pine Creek Bridge 1918 June 1, 1948 Pine Creek
Cle Elum River Bridge 1929 May 31, 1948 Cle Elum River
Centralia Power Canal Bridge 1936 Sep 24, 1947 Centralia Power Canal
Hoko River Bridge Unknown April 22, 1947 Hoko River Cause: Overloading—20-ton fully loaded logging truck attempted to cross 5-ton rated bridge.[19]
Washougal River Bridge 1926 Feb 6, 1947 Washougal River Cause: Fire—Fuel tanker truck collision weakened steel, followed by structural failure[11]
Mashel River Bridge 1916 Dec 11, 1946 Mashel River
St. Helens Bridge Unknown Dec 11, 1946 Toutle River
Rocky Creek Bridge 1929 Oct 25, 1945 Rocky Creek
Gallup Creek Bridge Unknown Oct 25, 1945 Gallup Creek
Cora Bridge 1925 Nov 12, 1943 Cowlitz River
Razorhone Creek (Lower) Unknown June 26, 1943 Razorhone Creek
Razorhone Creek (Upper) Unknown June 26, 1943 Razorhone Creek
Adna Bridge 1932 May 1, 1943 Chehalis River
Lindberg Over Crossing 1933 Mar 2, 1943 C.M.St.R.&P. Rail Road.
Long Lake Bridge 1911 Sep 26, 1942 Spokane River Cause: Vibration—Sheep herd crossing bridge[20]
Tacoma Narrows Bridge 1940 Nov 7, 1940 Tacoma Narrows
(Puget Sound)		 Cause: Wind/Design flaw—Aeroelastic fluttering (wind dynamics) leading to structural failure
Detillion Bridge Unknown May 24, 1939 Spokane River Cause: Collision—Tractor-trailer collision on deck[21]
Allen Street Bridge
also called Kelso-Longview Bridge		 1906 Jan 3, 1923 Cowlitz River Cause: Some combination of storm, collision, overloading. Deadliest Washington bridge disaster with at least 17 deaths.[22]
Wenatchee Avenue Bridge c. 1894 July 4, 1917 Wenatchee River Cause: Fire—Independence Day celebratory fireworks burned wooden deck[f]
Division Street Bridge 1892 Dec 18, 1915 Spokane River Cause: Collision or metal fatigue[g]
Columbia River Bridge, Brewster 1927 May 2, 1905 Columbia River [clarification needed]
Snoqualmie River Bridge 1931 April 17, 1905 Snoqualmie River [clarification needed]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Failures from Holstine and Hobbs analysis of 1923–1998 WSDOT data; excludes demolition, removal, replacement[1]
  2. ^ Bridge failure data from WSDOT 1905–2009 list[4] unless noted.
  3. ^ Deck rebuilt over existing steel arch[11]
  4. ^ Some sources say a total of 27 bridges had to be replaced[12][13][14]
  5. ^ Holstine and Hobbs say 7 bridges lost, this apparently does not count losses on minor tributaries of the Methow.[18]
  6. ^ Rebuilt over existing steel structure[11]
  7. ^ Floods in 1894 carried part of an upstream railroad bridge into the Division Street bridge in 1894; metal fatigue, shoddy steel, and a design flaw were also cited by contemporary sources[23]

Citations

  1. ^ a b Holstine & Hobbs 2005, p. 52.
  2. ^ a b Holstine & Hobbs 2005, p. 58.
  3. ^ a b Mass 2013.
  4. ^ WSDOT 2009.
  5. ^ KING 2013.
  6. ^ Matsura c. 1911.
  7. ^ Chronicles of the Okanogan, Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle, February 10, 2011, p. 17 – via issuu.com
  8. ^ Olympia Daily Recorder, March 16, 1915
  9. ^ Holstine & Hobbs 2005, pp. 59–60.
  10. ^ Olympian 2001.
  11. ^ a b c d Holstine & Hobbs 2005, p. 56.
  12. ^ Girty 2009.
  13. ^ Fisher, Heiken & Hulen 1997.
  14. ^ Foxworthy & Hill 1982.
  15. ^ FEMA 2013.
  16. ^ Chow Chow Suspension Bridge, Spanning Quinault River, Taholah, Grays Harbor County, WA – via Library of Congress
  17. ^ Holstine & Hobbs 2005, p. 59.
  18. ^ Holstine & Hobbs 2005, p. 57.
  19. ^ Holstine & Hobbs 2005, p. 54.
  20. ^ Holstine & Hobbs 2005, p. 134.
  21. ^ Holstine & Hobbs 2005, p. 133.
  22. ^ Holstine & Hobbs 2005, p. 55.
  23. ^ Arksey 2006.

References