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. 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."

+ Causes of failure, 1923–1998 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 Bridge name Yearbuilt Date ofdestruction 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 Dry Creek BridgeUnknownAug 21, 2009Dry Creek Omak Bridge19111911Okanogan RiverSteel swing bridge collapsed when first tested. Fourth Avenue Bridge (Olympia) 1905 Mar 15, 1915 Budd Inlet(Puget Sound) Cause: Collapse of drawbridge following sinking of piersOlympia Daily Recorder, March 16, 1915 Fourth Avenue Bridge (Olympia) 1919 Sep 11, 2001 Budd Inlet(Puget Sound) Cause: Earthquake—2001 Nisqually earthquake Nolan Creek Bridge1931Dec 15, 1999Nolan Creek Carbon River Bridge1921Mar 4, 1998Carbon RiverCause: Fire—Wooden deck and wooden approach arch burned following vehicle collision Naches River Bridge1938Feb 9, 1996Naches River Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge 1940Nov 25, 1990Lake WashingtonCause: Storm—Severe windstorm and human error caused flooding of pontoons Carbon River Bridge1971Nov 24, 1990Carbon River Nooksack River - Nugents Bridge1946Nov 10, 1989Nooksack River Cause: flooding Includes candid photos of workers Skokomish River Bridge1927Oct 4, 1984Skokomish River North Fork Toutle River-Coalbanks1972May 18, 1980N. Fork Toutle RiverCause: Flood—Mud and debris following 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens Alder Creek Bridge1954May 18, 1980Alder Creek St. Helens Bridge1949May 18, 1980Toutle River Coldwater Creek Bridge1933May 18, 1980Coldwater Creek North Fork Toutle River Bridge1938May 18, 1980N. Fork Toutle River Russell Barker Memorial Bridge1925Dec 14, 1979Bogachiel River Teanaway River Bridge1922Nov 28, 1979Teanaway River Bridge Little Naches River Bridge1928Aug 20, 1979Little Naches River Hood Canal Bridge1961Feb 13, 1979Hood CanalCause: Storm—February 13, 1979 windstorm Johnson Creek Bridge19Oct 1, 1978Johnson Creek Goat Creek Bridge1922Dec 3, 1977Goat Creek Bear Canyon1936Dec 2, 1977Bear Creek CreekUnknownDec 2, 1977Creek Satus Creek Bridge1959Jan 19, 1974Satus CreekCause: 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. Satus Creek Third Crossing1942Jan 19, 1974Satus Creek Satus Creek Fourth Crossing1942Jan 19, 1974Satus Creek Satus Creek First Crossing1942Jan 19, 1974Satus Creek Klickitat River Bridge1954Jan 19, 1974Klickitat River Coal Creek Bridge1945Feb 4, 1971Coal Creek Dry Creek BridgeUnknownJan 1, 1971Dry Creek Columbia River Bridge, Brewster1927Aug 5, 1968Columbia RiverCause: Fire—Welding torch ignited wood deck, heat weakened steel, causing structural failure Cowlitz River - NesikaUnknownNov 1, 1967Cowlitz River Lake Creek1950Nov 15, 1966Lake Creek Scatter Creek Bridge1932Jan 29, 1965Scatter Creek Smith Creek BridgeUnknownJune 1, 1964Smith Creek Copalis River Bridge1952Mar 27, 1964Copalis River Joe Creek Bridge1953Mar 27, 1964Joe 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. Timbers made into cedar shakes for tribal center in Taholah after 1988 collapse. Rocky Creek Bridge1947Nov 19, 1962Rocky Creek Gallup Creek Bridge1956Nov 19, 1962Gallup Creek Peshastin Creek1923Nov 20, 1959Peshastin Creek Salmon Creek Bridge1927Jan 5, 1956Salmon CreekCause: Bridge scour—Floating tree lodged under pier. Bridge collapsed 13 days after U.S. Highway 99 was opened. South Prarrie Creek Bridge1941Dec 11, 1955South Prarrie Creek Snake River at Burbank1920Sep 9, 1949Snake River Salmon Creek Bridge1927Feb 23, 1949Salmon Creek Robinson Creek Br.UnknownJune 14, 1948Robinson CreekCause: Flooding Lost River BridgeUnknownJune 14, 1948Lost River Methow River Bridge1918June 14, 1948Methow River Little Boulder Creek BridgeUnknownJune 14, 1948Little Boulder Creek Chewuck River BridgeUnknownJune 14, 1948Chewuck River Methow River at Winthrop1933June 14, 1948Methow River Methow River Bridge at Twisp1931June 14, 1948Methow River Methow River Bridge1939June 14, 1948Methow River Methow River Bridge1939June 14, 1948Methow River Methow River Bridge1933June 14, 1948Methow River Pine Creek Bridge1918June 1, 1948Pine Creek Cle Elum River Bridge1929May 31, 1948Cle Elum River Centralia Power Canal Bridge1936Sep 24, 1947Centralia 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. Washougal River Bridge1926Feb 6, 1947Washougal RiverCause: Fire—Fuel tanker truck collision weakened steel, followed by structural failure Mashel River Bridge1916Dec 11, 1946Mashel River St. Helens BridgeUnknownDec 11, 1946Toutle River Rocky Creek Bridge1929Oct 25, 1945Rocky Creek Gallup Creek BridgeUnknownOct 25, 1945Gallup Creek Cora Bridge1925Nov 12, 1943Cowlitz River Razorhone Creek (Lower)UnknownJune 26, 1943Razorhone Creek Razorhone Creek (Upper)UnknownJune 26, 1943Razorhone Creek Adna Bridge1932May 1, 1943Chehalis River Lindberg Over Crossing1933Mar 2, 1943C.M.St.R.&P. Rail Road. Long Lake Bridge1911Sep 26, 1942Spokane RiverCause: Vibration—Sheep herd crossing bridge Tacoma Narrows Bridge1940Nov 7, 1940Tacoma Narrows(Puget Sound)Cause: Wind/Design flaw—Aeroelastic fluttering (wind dynamics) leading to structural failure Detillion BridgeUnknownMay 24, 1939Spokane RiverCause: Collision—Tractor-trailer collision on deck Allen Street Bridgealso called Kelso-Longview Bridge 1906Jan 3, 1923Cowlitz RiverCause: Some combination of storm, collision, overloading. Deadliest Washington bridge disaster with at least 17 deaths. Wenatchee Avenue Bridge c. 1894 July 4, 1917 Wenatchee River Cause: Fire—Independence Day celebratory fireworks burned wooden deck Division Street Bridge1892Dec 18, 1915Spokane RiverCause: Collision or metal fatigue Columbia River Bridge, Brewster1927May 2, 1905Columbia River Snoqualmie River Bridge1931April 17, 1905Snoqualmie River

See also List of bridge failures

Notes

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References