Gov. Jay Inslee’s office confirmed Tuesday afternoon that the temporary replacement bridge over the Skagit River at Mount Vernon will open for traffic in both directions Wednesday, June 19, at a time to be announced Wednesday morning.

Original estimates were that the replacement bridge might take two months to be put in place, but quick response from Acrow Corporation, the bridge fabricator, and Atkinson Construction cut construction time to one day less than three weeks.

The bridge collapsed when a truck with an apparent over-height load on I-5 struck a key support on May 23, a day before the start of Memorial Day weekend. The truck that damaged the bridge continued southbound, but two vehicles and three occupants plunged into the water. The car’s occupants were rescued uninjured.

The permanent bridge is expected to be finished in September, at which time I-5 will be closed for about two weeks, according to the Department of Transportation.

— Steve Wehrly, Journal reporter