WSDOT evaluating damaged I-5 overpass in Whatcom County after Sunday’s closure
Northbound Interstate 5 in Whatcom County was closed Sunday for more than four hours after a truck carrying an excavator on Portal Way hit and damaged the underside of the overpass.
Washington State Department of Transportation crews inspected the damage to the Portal Way overpass in Ferndale and determined it was safe for traffic to continue on the freeway, spokesperson Meggan Carrigg Davidson told The Bellingham Herald in the email, though they returned to the scene Monday, Nov. 22, to further assess the damage.
WSDOT “will know more today (Monday) about possible future repairs if needed,” Carrigg Davidson wrote, adding that the right shoulder of northbound I-5 will remain closed over the bridge until further inspections are completed.
The incident occurred at approximately 3:40 p.m. Sunday, the Ferndale Police Department told The Herald through city spokesperson Sherry DeJong, after a large truck that was pulling a flatbed trailer with the excavator drove under the overpass and hit the rafters with the arm of the excavator.
“The collision caused noticeable damage to both the overpass and the excavator,” Ferndale police said.
Both northbound I-5 and Portal Way under the interstate were closed while WSDOT inspected the overpass, evaluating the damage and the structural integrity of the overpass.
WSDOT tweeted that the freeway had reopened at 7:50 p.m.
Carrigg Davidson told The Herald she expected to have more information about what repairs would be needed on Tuesday.
This story was originally published November 23, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
