WHAT SANK THE LACEY MURROW? THE STATE'S CASE

Consultants were hired to investigate the failure of Washington State's 50-year-old Lacey V. Murrow floating bridge during a major rehabilitation project in November 1990. This article presents the State's case. After extensive investigations, the State found that the primary cause of the sinking was the water that accumulated in the bridge pontoons during the renovations. The sources of the water were the hydrodemolition machines used to move concrete from the pontoons, rainwater, and to a lesser extent, wave splash water. The details of how this happened are described.