Coronado Bay Bridge Recently Inspected for Safety
By Monica Garske | NBC7 -San Diego
| Friday, May 24, 2013 | Updated 7:34 AM PDT
A bridge collapsed along the Skagit River in Washington State Thursday evening, plunging two cars into the water below and prompting the emergency rescues of three people from the water. The incident could very well propel the topic of bridge safety into the national spotlight.Locally, NBC 7 covered bridge safety earlier this month when NBC 7 Investigates got an exclusive look at how a special team of Caltrans divers and experts inspect San Diego's iconic Coronado Bay Bridge for safety. Video of that inspection can be seen here.
The safety inspection is done on the Coronado Bay Bridge every few years. Experts have spent this past month examining the bridge, and those latest findings will be available in about two months.
Inspection experts told NBC 7 Investigates that a 2007 inspection of the Coronado Bay Bridge showed that the piers were in good condition, with "no major defects."
Back in March, the non-profit advocacy group Transportation for America deemed the Coronado Bridge "structurally deficient," saying it was one of thousands of bridges across the nation in need of significant maintenance. That group's ranking of the Coronado Bay Bridge can be seen here.
Meanwhile, the California Department of Transportation keeps a list of all "fracture critical state highway system bridges" that are regularly tested for any potential safety concerns.
In San Diego, that list includes the Coronado Bay Bridge, the Sweetwater River bridge, the Mission Bay Drive bridge and Ballena Creek bridge. Click here for the DOT's full list of California fracture critical bridges.Check out http://groups.yahoo.com/group/californiadisasters/
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