Astoria Bridge closed due to crash as winds gust to 101 mph
ASTORIA, Ore. - A semi overturned on The Astoria-Megler Bridge between Oregon and Washington on Monday morning amid a fierce wind storm.
A wind gauge in nearby Megler atop a tower at 1,200 feet reported a gust to 101 mph during the height of the storm, while Astoria reported a simulatenous gust of 92 mph, although officials said it wasn't immediately clear whether strong winds were the sole factor in the crash.
Authorities closed the bridge at each end and it's expected to remain closed through at least 4 p.m. as DOT officials are awaiting the winds to die down before sending out a tow truck.
The truck driver works at the same employer as my husband does. Unfortunately this driver was just recently hired. He is ok. After that, I don't think I could drive again. And I have to agree with the others who said he was probably thinking, If I don't do my job, I don't get paid. These thoughts were probably pretty prominent in his head especially because he was a new employee. Time sensitive deliveries/deadlines/or being close to being out of hours can overpower a gut feeling.
Should have taken the ferry at White Salmon.
This bridge reminds me of a shorter version of the Mackinac Straits bridge linking Upper and Lower Michigan. I crossed that bridge once heading south trying to beat a blizzard, thats a nasty bridge too for winds. My lil neon went from the far right lane to the left lane without me turning the wheel, wind pushed it right over like it was nothing. Question for anyone who lives by this bridge, or uses it often, do they offer escorts for the trucks? I know on the Mackinac they have box trucks covered in foam padding, weighted down and reinforced on the interior that they use to keep the trailers upright while crossing the bridge.
 @SilverGryphon I spent some time growing up on the Long Beach Peninsula... I have been across that bridge hundreds of times since '66. There are no escorts to my knowledge. While not common, the bridge has been shutdown because of winds on occasion. The closest option in that case would be the Lewis & Clark bridge in Longview some 70+ miles East. Had this guy been going Northbound, he may have went over entirely. Scary...
 @d_2 Thanks, I've not had the pleasure of getting out that way yet.
They close the bridge quite often for much less violent windstorms. Why wasn't it closed previously?
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I drive over that bridge about twice a year near Labor Day and I'm not surprised that this happened. Winds on the top of that thing get to be 45 miles an hour regularly. I mean, at least the Narrows [and yeah, those of us native to the Tacoma area still call it 'Gertie'] has the Olympics as a windbreak... the Astoria bridge hasn't got anything between it and Japan but a container ship and a sleeping orca.
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And yeah, KOMO could have reported on the driver's condition.
@ svensson Thanks for the chuckle, "... the Astoria bridge hasn't got anything between it and Japan but a container ship and a sleeping orca."
@Content_People I'll be here all week... try the veal! :)
Awesome story, KOMO.Â
Would have been even better if you had made the slightest mention of the driver.
"... although officials said it wasn't immediately clear whether strong winds were the sole factor in the crash."
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What other factors could there be? Â Maybe the truck driver was leaning to the left in his seat as well?
 @Landshark Was it a loaded trailer or empty? That is a vast difference in why this could happen. I have friends who are drivers during wind gusts on I-82/I-84 and they feel their trailers being lifted and slightly pushed to the side of the road by the wind gusts. Its worse if the trailer is empty though.
 @DarkRenegade  @Landshark I used to drive I-82 and I-84 a lot when I was driving truck and there were times there and other places where an empty trailer (especially) was a little bit "floaty," to say the least.
@DarkRenegade @Landshark There is also the possibility of mechanical failure of the semi, or worse yet, the driver being under the influence and simply losing control.
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Can't imagine driving on that bridge in those winds. What was the trucker thinking? Â THat bridge is gorgeous, but whenever I drive across it, I get pretty stressed out.Â
 @DT He may not have realized just how windy it was until he actually got on the bridge. Or, he may have been forced to drive. I used to be forced to drive in conditions that I felt or knew were unsafe. Tight schedules, greedy companies, d-bag driver managers, and so on...
 @DT Driver was probably thinking to do his job. The weather reports will give a wide range of wind gusts speeds but many times those gusts are under reported through areas like this bridge.
 @DT Bet he was thinking "I don't get paid if I don't deliver my load"
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@DT my thoughts exactly.....why did the driver attempt that bridge in such bad conditions? stupid.....hope the driver is ok
I don't like that bridge on a good day. Â This would be one heck of a day to be on it. Â Hope nobody was hurt.
My little RV would have probably been pushed over the side.
I'd need a new pair of drawers if I was driving that truck.
That would be a scary bridge to be hanging over like that.
This just happened in Aberdeen too.
I have one of those keyboards, too... :)
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whehter? lol. KOMO there are programs that will auto check your spelling for you.
Should say whether instead of "whehter." Yeah, whatever.