NORTH BEND — Drivers crossing the McCullough Bridge have endured bridge renovation for the past several years — in hope of avoiding the disastrous consequences of a bridge collapse.
The inconvenience may be worth it.
Although it is unclear what caused Washington state’s Skagit River Bridge to collapse, the accident raises concern over whether the same could happen to local bridges such as the McCullough and Eastside bridges. The McCullough Bridge has been undergoing a restorative process called cathodic protection, which sends electric waves through the metal to make it rust-resistant.
“Bridges need ongoing maintenance that maintains the integrity of the bridge,” said Linda Johnson, spokeswoman for Hamilton Construction Co., the company working on the McCullough Bridge. “Cathodic protection is one item that’s part of the bigger picture.”
The number of times cathodic protection is needed varies, Johnson said.
Hamilton conducts a range of treatments on bridges, including updating mechanical systems on Florence’s Siuslaw Bridge, rehabilitative work on Curry County’s Rogue River Bridge and new construction on the Shreveport Bridge, Johnson said.
The McCullough Bridge, completed in 1936, is almost 20 years older than the Skagit River Bridge, whose Thursday collapse is under investigation by state and federal authorities.
“We know at about 7 p.m., an oversized truck struck the bridge,” said Mike Allende, spokesman for the Washington Department of Transportation. “We’re not sure exactly why the bridge went down. We’re still trying to investigate.”
The Skagit Bridge passed inspections in August and November 2012, Allende said. Bridges in Washington and Oregon are investigated once every two years, more often as the bridge declines, he said.
Pictures of Washington state’s Skagit River Bridge show rust. But Shelley Snow, a spokeswoman for Oregon’s Transportation Department said the rust was “probably normal wear and tear.”
Oregon has 65 bridges that are similar to the Skagit, which is a “steel through truss” bridge. Two of those are on the north and south part of I-5 and the third is on I-82 in Umatilla.
Those older bridges were not designed for today’s needs, she said.
“A lot of bridges are functionally obsolete,” Snow said. “It doesn’t mean it’s unsafe, just that it’s an old design.”
The inconvenience may be worth it.
Although it is unclear what caused Washington state’s Skagit River Bridge to collapse, the accident raises concern over whether the same could happen to local bridges such as the McCullough and Eastside bridges. The McCullough Bridge has been undergoing a restorative process called cathodic protection, which sends electric waves through the metal to make it rust-resistant.
“Bridges need ongoing maintenance that maintains the integrity of the bridge,” said Linda Johnson, spokeswoman for Hamilton Construction Co., the company working on the McCullough Bridge. “Cathodic protection is one item that’s part of the bigger picture.”
The number of times cathodic protection is needed varies, Johnson said.
Hamilton conducts a range of treatments on bridges, including updating mechanical systems on Florence’s Siuslaw Bridge, rehabilitative work on Curry County’s Rogue River Bridge and new construction on the Shreveport Bridge, Johnson said.
The McCullough Bridge, completed in 1936, is almost 20 years older than the Skagit River Bridge, whose Thursday collapse is under investigation by state and federal authorities.
“We know at about 7 p.m., an oversized truck struck the bridge,” said Mike Allende, spokesman for the Washington Department of Transportation. “We’re not sure exactly why the bridge went down. We’re still trying to investigate.”
The Skagit Bridge passed inspections in August and November 2012, Allende said. Bridges in Washington and Oregon are investigated once every two years, more often as the bridge declines, he said.
Pictures of Washington state’s Skagit River Bridge show rust. But Shelley Snow, a spokeswoman for Oregon’s Transportation Department said the rust was “probably normal wear and tear.”
Oregon has 65 bridges that are similar to the Skagit, which is a “steel through truss” bridge. Two of those are on the north and south part of I-5 and the third is on I-82 in Umatilla.
Those older bridges were not designed for today’s needs, she said.
“A lot of bridges are functionally obsolete,” Snow said. “It doesn’t mean it’s unsafe, just that it’s an old design.”