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Commissioner reports bridge tour: WSDOT, NTSB review and channel hazards flagged for shipping and bridge safety
Summary
Commissioner Rager told the Board a recent bridge tour with WSDOT and port representatives identified navigational channel shifts, thermal movement of the bridge, and limited state maintenance funding as key safety concerns.
Commissioner Rager reported on a recent bridge tour attended by Port of Longview and WSDOT representatives and local stakeholders. Rager said WSDOT is working with the National Transportation Safety Board to create a bridge condition and safety report and told commissioners WSDOT acknowledged it does not have sufficient funding to sustain maintenance for Washington’s bridge network.
Rager and other meeting participants described navigational hazards near the bridge. Attendees said the river channel moves and that, at times, the channel does not align with the tallest span of the bridge; a port representative said ships have encountered limited under-bridge clearance and that in one incident a vessel’s smoke stacks were removed to allow transit.
Rager said a maritime speaker told the group that, on average, “one ship a month” experiences shutdowns while transiting the river; those shutdowns can lead to vessels losing steerage and potentially striking a bridge pier. The group also discussed historic protective bumpers (described as long, pointed structures) and navigational buoys that have been removed over time.
Rager summarized other issues raised on the tour: the bridge’s thermal expansion and contraction can change bridge elevation by multiple feet (participants used the figure of 4 to 6 feet in the discussion), and port representatives urged better channel monitoring and electronic clearance measurements to avoid last-minute manual calculations.
Why it matters: the bridge carries commercial traffic and links port operations that handle regional commerce; county officials said commerce volumes are large and that bridge failure or a major strike would have major economic consequences. Rager said local stakeholders are pushing for better safety measures and for clarity about long-term maintenance funding.
Ending: Rager said WSDOT’s statement about limited maintenance funding and recommendations such as emergency-closure arms and improved channel monitoring will be followed up in future briefings.
