Discover the 6 Most Devastating Bridge Collapses in Washington

With numerous bodies of water to cross, Washington has more than 8,421 bridges. Unfortunately, 456 are structurally poor, and more than 7,200 need significant repairs.

This northwestern state has had its fair share of bridge failures since the early 1900s, many weather-related. Flooding is the greatest cause of collapses in the state, with fire, volcanic debris, collisions, and storms also playing roles. All failures except one avoided human fatalities.

Discover the six most devastating bridge collapses in Washington and learn why they failed.

Allen Street Bridge – 1923

Standing over the Cowlitz River and connecting the cities of Kelso and Longview, the Allen Street Bridge was a movable bridge made of wood. Workers built it in 1907, replacing an older wooden structure. While Allen Street Bridge faced renovations in 1915, many residents refused to use it. It was in poor condition from recent flooding and overuse.

On January 3, 1923, workers were returning home in the evening when a traffic jam put too much stress on the bridge and caused a suspension cable to snap. The entire bridge plunged into the freezing river when the support beams gave away.

Rescue efforts immediately went underway, but poor weather and limited visibility made it difficult to rescue everyone. At least 20 people perished in the bridge collapse, but we don’t know the exact number of casualties as rescuers did not find everybody.

The Allen Street Bridge Collapse was the worst in the state’s history in terms of human casualties.

I-5 Skagit River Bridge – 2013

Built in 1955, the Skagit River Bridge connected Mount Vernon and Burlington in Skagit County. At approximately 7:00 pm on May 23, 2013, a truck with an oversized load struck several of the bridge’s support beams, leading to an almost immediate collapse of the northern portion of the bridge. Two vehicles fell into the river, and three people had to wait for a rescue boat to return them to safety. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured.

Before the incident, bridge evaluators deemed the structure “fracture-critical.” This phrase refers to bridges that lack structural integrity if they lose one of their support members.

Check out this article about the scariest bridge in Washington.

Bridges Near Mount St. Helens – 1980

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted in Skamantia County, producing a volcanic explosivity index of five. It was the most disastrous volcanic eruption in America’s history. The eruption melted almost all the nearby glaciers, creating enormous volcanic mudflows that plunged downstream. Moving up to 90 miles per hour with the consistency of wet concrete, the muddy flows traveled down several creeks and rivers, taking out bridges near Pine Creek, Swift Reservoir, and Toutle River. A total of 47 bridges collapsed in the areas surrounding the mountain, including the Alder Creek Bridge, St. Helens Bridge, Coldwater Creek Bridge, and North Fork Toutle River Bridge.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge – 1940

During its existence, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge was the third-longest suspension bridge in the world. It spanned the Puget Sound, connecting Tacoma and the Kitsap Peninsula. While the bridge was supposed to be an engineering marvel, it failed spectacularly. Tacoma Narrows opened to the public on July 1, 1940, and collapsed on November 7, 1940. Workers nicknamed the bridge “Galloping Gertie” due to its vertical movements in windy weather, which is what ultimately caused its downfall. The morning of November 7th produced 40 miles per hour of winds, causing the deck to oscillate and twist until it broke apart. Thankfully, no one lost their life, and the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge boosted research in aerodynamics and aeroclastic fluttering.

Hood Canal Bridge – 1979

This floating bridge straddles the Hood Canal and connects State Route 104 to the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas. During a February windstorm in 1979, the Hood Canal Bridge suffered a catastrophic failure. Wind gusts up to 120 miles per hour pounded the bridge throughout the night until it finally succumbed early in the morning. Hatches blew open and allowed flooding of the pontoons on the bridge’s western half. The bridge sank but thankfully caused no casualties or injuries.

Lacey V. Murrow Bridge – 1990

The Murrow Bridge is the world’s second-longest floating Bridge. It resides in Seattle, carrying I-90 across Lake Washington to Mercer Island. After poor design and construction decisions, the original Murrow Bridge sank on November 25, 1990. After a pontoon filled with water, it dragged down the rest cabled together, leading to the bridge’s collapse. TV crews captured when the bridge fell into the water; thankfully, no one was injured.

Summary of the 6 Most Devastating Bridge Collapses in Washington

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