Traffic defies terror threats

By Rebecca Cook

Associated Press Writer

OLYMPIA — Rush-hour traffic crossed Washington’s major bridges as usual Friday morning despite an FBI alert that triggered additional security precautions, state officials said.

Thursday’s alert about suspension bridges on the West Coast immediately brought the sweeping span of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to mind, but commuters weren’t deterred.

"As the rush hour was unfolding this morning, traffic was pretty typical for a Friday," said Linda Mullen, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation.

Police beefed up security around the bridge — the only major suspension span in the state — closing two roads underneath the structure.

"People are real comfortable with heavy traffic on the Narrows Bridge," said Sgt. Bob Kerwin of the Washington State Patrol. "This was just another routine Friday commute for them."

The FBI said in a statement Thursday that it had received information that unspecified groups were targeting suspension bridges on the West Coast for additional terrorist attacks. The FBI said the information was uncorroborated.

"Six incidents are to take place during rush hour beginning Friday, Nov. 2, and continuing through Nov. 7, 2001," the FBI said. "No further information about this alleged attack is known at this time."

Justice Department spokeswoman Mindy Tucker said the information that prompted the warning was "at a lower level" than the information that led to a general FBI alert Monday that the nation faces a heightened threat of terrorist attacks.

"We are working to verify the validity" of the information, Tucker said.

Gov. Gary Locke’s spokeswoman said he was aware of the threat but had been told by the FBI there was no way to know if it was credible.

In addition to Washington and California, the FBI warning was sent to law agencies in Oregon, Arizona, Montana, Nevada, Idaho and Utah.

Pierce County Emergency Management officials made plans Thursday to protect the Narrows Bridge, which connects the Kitsap Peninsula to the east side of Puget Sound and carries about 90,000 cars a day.

Washington State Patrol spokesman Capt. Eric Robertson said there was no evidence that specific Washington bridges have been targeted. Still, state officials tightened security.

Since Sept. 11, the Coast Guard has helped patrol the I-5 bridge over the Columbia River between Vancouver and Portland, Ore., which is not a suspension bridge. The Navy is guarding the Hood Canal floating bridge, which is near the Bangor Naval Submarine Base.

Seattle-based Coast Guard spokesman Robert Lanier said Thursday night that the Coast Guard had not been told to respond to any specific, new terrorist threats.

"We are on the ready in case the state needs any assistance," he said.

At a news conference Thursday afternoon, Seattle Mayor Paul Schell, police chief Gil Kerlikowske and local FBI special agent-in-charge Charles Mandigo would not discuss steps taken at specific structures.

But Kerlikowske said police have begun adding patrols at many of the city’s 150 bridges. Seattle has no suspension bridges.

"We took several steps immediately," Kerlikowske said, explaining that the city has sent officers to monitor bridge surfaces, deployed additional officers to monitor beneath bridges, and extended SWAT team patrols to 24 hours.

On the busy floating bridges between Seattle and its eastern suburbs, the Transportation Department has for decades stationed workers in tow trucks to clear rush-hour accidents. Now they’re not just looking for flat tires and fender-benders; they’re watching for suspicious packages and strange-acting people.

All Transportation workers have received a pamphlet encouraging them to be the "Eyes and Ears of WSDOT."

"You know your work environment. You know what is normal and what is out of place," the pamphlet reads in part.

Mullen and Robertson asked Washington citizens to pay attention, too, and report any unusual activities or objects.

"They know the roads as well as we do," Robertson said. "If they see something out of the norm, it’s really imperative they call 911."

A number of major bridges also cross the Columbia and other rivers in Eastern Washington.

Robertson said the agency is getting more calls since the attacks, especially about suspicious packages. While all have turned out to be false alarms as far as terrorism is concerned, he said people are correct to take extra precautions.

"The calls we’ve gotten have been good calls," Robertson said. "Everyone’s doing the right thing."

Copyright ©2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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