I-5 Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Collision on northbound I-5 causes massive back-ups

By Lauren Gallup July 19, 2023

A crane had to be used to life the semi-truck, which was heavy with cargo. // Credit: WSDOT Tacoma, @wsdot_tacoma on Twitter

A major collision on northbound Interstate 5 Wednesday morning caused day-long backups across much of Thurston County. The incident, between a semi-truck and passenger vehicle, closed all but one of the northbound lanes just past the exit to Mounts Road in DuPont, as crews worked to investigate the collision and then clear the debris and vehicles. Read More

‘I Knew I Needed To Go Out,’ Says Blood Donor Marking 3rd Anniversary Of Deadly I-5 Amtrak Crash

By Tom Banse December 18, 2020

Donor Kaitlan Vasquez giving blood in Olympia on the third anniversary of the Amtrak 501 train wreck in December 2017. CREDIT: Tom Banse/N3

Three years ago on December 18, a speeding Amtrak Cascades train bound for Portland derailed near DuPont, Washington, and tumbled onto Interstate 5. The crash killed three passengers and injured scores of others. An Olympia woman marked the anniversary Friday by going back to her local blood donation center to achieve a related, but happier milestone.Read More

Washington And Oregon Governors Revive Talks To Replace I-5 Bridge

By Lauren Dake November 18, 2019

The Interstate 5 bridge is seen here from the Washington side on Monday, Nov. 18, 2019. The governors of Washington and Oregon are meeting to announce their joint plan to revive the Columbia River Crossing project. The project seeks to replace the aging Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River. CREDIT: Nathan Howard/The Columbian via AP

Govs. Kate Brown, of Oregon, and Jay Inslee, of Washington, met in Vancouver today to announce the first formal steps to develop a finance plan and reevaluate previous studies of replacing the bridge. They are allocating $44 million to the initial effort of what could eventually be a multibillion dollar bridge replacement project.Read More

There’s Another Multimillion Dollar Jury Settlement Against Amtrak Following 2017 I-5 Derailment

By Tom Banse November 13, 2019

Cars from an Amtrak train lie spilled onto Interstate 5 below alongside smashed vehicles as some train cars remain on the tracks in DuPont, Washington. CREDIT: ELAINE THOMPSON/AP

An eight-member federal court jury on Wednesday ordered Amtrak to pay Madeleine Garza of Maple Valley, Washington, $4.5 million for pain, suffering and possible future disabilities. Garza received spinal injuries and broke her pelvis during the derailment of the speeding Amtrak Cascades train, which was traveling from Seattle to Portland.Read More

Survivors Still Healing, Seeking Accountability One Year After Deadly Amtrak Derailment Over I-5

By Tom Banse December 14, 2018

It's been almost one year since an Amtrak Cascades train derailed near DuPont, Washington. The crash killed three passengers and injured more than 60, including drivers on adjacent Interstate 5. One year later, some of the seriously injured are still healing. The courts are just beginning to deal with the lawsuits stemming from the crash. Read More

Testimony Points To Human Error As Cause Of Deadly Amtrak Derailment In DuPont

By Tom Banse January 26, 2018

Federal investigators have interviewed the engineer who was at the controls of Amtrak Cascades Train 501 that derailed last month south of Tacoma. The interview summary points more strongly to human error as the cause of the deadly wreck.Read More

UPDATES: I-5 Amtrak Train Derailment Brings Investigation, Lawsuits And Many Questions

By Scott Leadingham January 2, 2018

Amtrak train derails onto Interstate 5, December 18, 2017

An Amtrak train on its inaugural run from Seattle to Portland derailed Monday morning, Dec. 18, 2017, sending at least one train car off an overpass and onto a busy Interstate 5 below. The derailment happened in DuPont, about 40 miles south of Seattle near Joint Base Lewis-McChord, before 8 a.m. during morning rush hour.Read More

Lawmakers Move To Revive Plan To Replace I-5 Bridge Over Columbia River

By Tom Banse February 21, 2017

In 2013 the Washington Legislature killed the idea of a bigger, safer bridge between Portland and Vancouver, Washington. Three years later, Washington state lawmakers could take preliminary votes to revive plans to replace the aging Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River.Read More