A non-injury crash involving two semi-trucks slowed traffic for hours on northbound I-5 at the Skagit River Bridge near Mount Vernon, the site of the 2013 collapse. (Trooper Kelsey Harding)
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — A multi-vehicle collision involving two semi-trucks blocked lanes on northbound Interstate 5 at the Skagit River Bridge for several hours Friday, slowing traffic through the corridor.
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Washington State Patrol Trooper Kelsey Harding said the crash caused no injuries. Crews still spent hours clearing the heavy trucks and debris.
Traffic initially moved through a single left lane while responders assessed the scene and coordinated towing.
In a later update, Harding said crews removed one semi, but the second truck and tow crews remained on scene. She warned cleanup would take time and gave no estimate for a full reopening.
By early evening, crews cleared the remaining semi and debris from the right lane. Authorities reopened the roadway at 6:37 p.m.
The crash marks yet another semi-related incident that slowed traffic along the I-5 corridor in northwest Washington. The route serves as a key freight link between the Canadian border and the Seattle metro area.
🚨N5 at the Skagit River Bridge there is a multi-vehicle blocking collision. This is a non-injury collision. Two of the vehicles involved are semis. Traffic is getting by in the left lane but still expect delays through the area. pic.twitter.com/PZBNupCuDV
Drivers across Washington still remember the May 23, 2013 collapse of the Skagit River Bridge. An oversized truck struck the overhead steel truss while traveling northbound on Interstate 5, causing part of the span to fall into the river.
Several vehicles went into the water, but everyone survived. The collapse shut down a major West Coast freight route and prompted nationwide scrutiny of fracture-critical bridges.
Crews installed a temporary span within weeks to restore traffic. A permanent replacement section opened later that year.
Since then, crashes or closures at the crossing quickly draw attention because of its history and its role in regional travel and trade.
Friday’s non-injury collision happened at that same bridge, a detail many drivers noted as backups formed for more than three miles well into Friday evening.
PNW Daily brings you this traffic report is part of the ongoing crash report series sponsored by CrashLaw.NET, tracking serious traffic incidents across Washington state. If you’ve been seriously injured in an auto accident, give Ziad Youssef and the team a call today at (360) 255-5046.
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