SHINE — Video footage collected by a submersible device 350 feet below the surface of Hood Canal appears to show a 3-inch-diameter steel cable broken near one of the Hood Canal Bridge’s anchors.
The cable, which is one of dozens that hold the floating bridge in place, was discovered hanging slack during a regular inspection last Wednesday.
“They believe the cable break is somewhere near the yoke of the anchor, but the anchor itself is OK,” said Alice Fiman, state Department of Transportation’s Olympic region public information officer.
She said a remote-controlled submersible dove to where the cable was broken.
Fiman said marine growth near the anchor and along the cable makes it difficult to view exactly where the break occurred.
“This is the worst time of the year in Hood Canal because of the amount of marine growth, so they are going to use a machine to blast off the growth to determine exactly where the break is,” she said.
Operation today?
Fiman said the diver’s process to remove marine growth from the cable — located on the Kitsap County half of the bridge, at the northeast part of the drawspan that opens to allow vessel traffic to transit Hood Canal — could happen as early as today.
Fiman was unsure when the cable would be replaced because Transportation officials are required to hire a contractor who has proper equipment and marine qualifications before making repairs.
“We have enough spare cable that will fit that area and will bring it in to replace it,” she said.
