The northbound lanes of the State Route 529 bridge in Everett will reopen at noon Tuesday after crews repair steel support beams that were damaged in a weekend crash.
EVERETT, Wash. — The closure caused a 6-mile backup on Interstate 5 Monday afternoon because drivers couldn't go north from Everett on the bridge, the WSDOT said.
"I tried get on the freeway up here and traffic was backed up all the way on the other side of town," said one driver.
A suspected drunk driver struck the beams early Saturday morning when a sheriff's deputy tried to pull her over.
The driver, a 38-year-old Everett woman, suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital, authorities said. She was not jailed, as was first reported. Pending charges include attempting to elude an officer, driving under the influence, reckless driving and driving with a suspended license. See deputy's account of what happened.
The damage left the bridge, a key link between Everett and Marysville that carries 15,000 vehicles a day over the Snohomish River, battered.
"These are twisted and bent and broken and sheared off at the bottom," said Kris Olsen of the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The southbound lanes are on a second separate span that remains open to traffic.
Repair costs could go as high as $30,000.
The state said it will try to get reimbursed by the insurance company of the driver who did the damage.
KIRO
