Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday declared an emergency in Lewis County due to damage to the state Route 506 bridge over Interstate 5 that occurred on Sept. 22 when it was struck by an oversized logging truck.
The damage requires the replacement of one span of the structure, which was already under construction after being hit by a previous oversized load. The estimated cost to repair the damage is $1 million, according to the governor’s office.
“This order will cause the plans and procedures in the Washington State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan to be implemented,” according to a statement from the governor’s office. “State agencies and departments are also directed to utilize state resources and to do everything reasonably possible to assist affected political subdivisions in an effort to respond to and recover from the incident.”
Contractors demolished the northbound span of the overpass Thursday during the second of two overnight closures to northbound I-5 at Exit 60 near Toledo.
Crews removed the railing and guardrails of the structure Wednesday night.
Southbound I-5 remained open during the closures, as bridge girder replacement work initially planned for Thursday night has been pushed into next week, according to the state Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
The overpass itself has been closed since an oversize load damaged the southbound span of the bridge on July 6, 2021. Contractors have so far demolished the damaged southbound section of the bridge and placed pedestals that the breakers will eventually sit atop, according to project manager Paul Mason.
The vertical clearance of the southbound span will increase by more than a foot once complete, according to Mason.
WSDOT was still considering its options for replacing the northbound span as of Friday morning, according to Mason.
