Columbia Mountain Times™: FREIGHT ALERT: I-5 Skagit River Bridge-DETOUR UPDATE

Subject: FREIGHT ALERT: I-5 Skagit River Bridge-DETOUR UPDATE
Date: Sat, 25 May 2013 12:30:11 -0500
To: guyperea@live.com
From: wsdot@service.govdelivery.com

FREIGHT ALERT: I-5 Skagit River Bridge-DETOUR UPDATE

I-5 is closed and all traffic is being detoured between College Way in Mount Vernon and George Hopper Road in Burlington. At this time there is no timeline for reopening this stretch of roadway. All traffic, including truck traffic, is being routed around the closure.
If you need to travel between Mount Vernon and Burlington you should expect long delays, especially during peak travel times, and allow extra time to reach your destination. Drivers heading to or from Bellingham or Canada can use State Route 9 as an alternate route. Local drivers should consider alternate routes or times of travel if possible. WSDOT will continue to adjust signal timing and make changes to try and improve traffic flow over the weekend.

Southbound I-5 detour:Take the George Hopper Road exit (229), follow signs east to Burlington Boulevard/Riverside Drive and head south, back to southbound I-5 via College Way.
Northbound I-5 detour: Take the College Way exit (227), follow signs east to Burlington Boulevard/Riverside Drive and head north, and back to northbound I-5 at George Hopper Road.

A portion of a bridge on Interstate 5 collapsed into the Skagit River near Mount Vernon Thursday evening, May 23. State officials and the National Transportation Safety Board are currently investigating. Once the NTSB completes their investigation and releases the site, WSDOT will move forward with removing debris and a replacement structure.
You can find the latest information about the closure, including detours and alternate routes, on the WSDOT website.