From the Seattle Times:
520 bridge reopens after 8 injured when traffic sign falls on bus
The Highway 520 bridge reopened at 5 a.m. Wednesday, after crews worked overnight to clear a toppled sign that hit a bus near Lake Washington Boulevard, on the Seattle side.
Firefighters said six females and two males were taken to hospitals with minor injuries after the accident, at around 10 p.m. Tuesday, A work crane for the new 520 bridge was lifting a load of pipe when it hit a sign that spans the highway.
“(The pipe) swung over, hit the bus, ricocheted off the top of the bus and hit the sign, causing the sign to fall on the bus,” said Trooper Chris Webb of the Washington State Patrol.
They had a live load over moving traffic. Not good. How it should have been done:
Contractors have delivered pipes this way several times before, with WSDOT consent, by closing the right westbound lane of Highway 520, while traffic passes in the inside lane.
Glad that there were no fatalities - this could have been a lot worse.
The DOT and Flatiron issued a joint statement:
Joint Statement from WSDOT and Flatiron Construction
Our thoughts are with the individuals who were injured in the SR 520 incident that occurred last night. We collectively thank the Metro bus driver for his quick actions in the situation and the first responders on the scene.
Safety is WSDOT’s number one priority – for the travelling public, our employees, and our contractor’s employees. We expect all WSDOT contractors to follow all safety rules and regulations to the highest standard. Flatiron Construction, the contractor on the SR 520 West Approach Bridge Project, is equally committed to achieving and maintaining safety on the SR 520 corridor. Last night’s incident was during a routine operation that has been performed safely and successfully many times by the contractor working on the SR 520 West Approach Bridge North Project since October 2014.
Flatiron has suspended all construction work related to this incident while an investigation is underway and procedures are reviewed so that the public and all construction workers are safe at the job site. Flatiron is working closely with the Department of Labor and Industries to understand the result of the ongoing investigation and the cause of the incident. Based on the outcome of the investigation, Flatiron will take all appropriate actions to ensure safety on the project site and for the travelling public.
Good for them to own the accident so quickly - a sign of good leadership at a well run company.
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