Date:  Friday, September 16, 2011

Contact: Jugesh Kapur, WSDOT Bridge Engineer, 360-705-7207 (Olympia)

State’s bridges are safe for travelers

OLYMPIA – A review of state bridge-inspection records shows that 10 bridges made with AASHTO M270 steel in Washington state are in safe condition for daily travelers.

Washington State Department of Transportation bridge engineers reviewed the inspection records after the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a technical advisory Sept. 12, recommending a nationwide review of all bridges made with AASHTO M270 steel.

FHWA issued the advisory after bridge inspectors shut down a bridge spanning the Kentucky-Indiana border. They had discovered large cracks in the steel of the Sherman Minton bridge on Interstate 64.

All 10 of the WSDOT bridges made with AASHTO M270 steel have been inspected recently, and inspection records show no reports of dangerous cracks.

Bridge engineers reviewed inspection records for bridges that included the I-5 Stillaguamish River bridge and the SR 522 Snohomish River bridge.

WSDOT has a comprehensive bridge–inspection-and-review process that carefully examines each span in the state every 24 months – and in some cases every 12 months. To learn more, visit the bridge website.

< Go Back