Bridge collapse could cost Washington state millions, jobs [View all]

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http://www.nbcnews.com/business/bridge-collapse-could-cost-washington-state-millions-jobs-6C10066338


A person looks from the south bank of the Skagit River across to the collapsed portion of the Interstate 5 bridge Friday, May 24, 2013, in Mount Vernon, Wash.

The collapse of a bridge on a major West Coast highway could cost the state of Washington at least $47 million in lost economic output, as well lost jobs and tax revenues similar to the impact of a flood five years ago that also shut down another section of the road, officials said Friday.

Brian Bonlender, Director of the State Department of Commerce said it would be difficult to pinpoint the exact economic impact because it depends on how long the road is out of service, how much traffic was disrupted and delayed by detour routes.

But, based on a flood in 2007 that washed out a section of Interstate 5 in Chehalis and closed Interstate-5 in both directions for four days, he was able to estimate economic losses from Thursday's Skagit River Bridge collapse.

"We’re still calculating, but certainly expect the impact of the Skagit River Bridge disruption to be similar," Bonlender said in comments e-mailed to NBC News.