Work On U.S. 97 Bridge Over Columbia Resumes After Fatal Accident
GOLDENDALE, Wash. (AP) — Work has resumed on a resurfacing project on the U.S. Highway 97 bridge over the Columbia River following a fatal accident.
Michael Dennison, an employee of Mowat Construction Co. of Woodinville, died Jan. 16 after the excavator he was driving overturned. Officials said the track hoe was being used to carry a heavy steel plate when it flipped over a guardrail, plunging 70 feet into the water.
Construction at the bridge resumed Wednesday, a day after a routine company pre-work safety meeting.
According to a state Transportation Department news release, the span about a dozen miles south of Goldendale should be reopened to traffic on schedule over the Memorial Day weekend. The bridge has been closed for resurfacing since Jan. 2.
