20 years later, family and friends gather to remember Webbers Falls bridge collapse

WEBBERS FALL, Okla. — A ceremony was held to remember the 14 people killed when a bridge collapsed in Muskogee County, 20 years ago on May 26 2002.

It was one of the worst roadway disasters in Oklahoma state history.

A barge hit a pier on the of the I-40 bridge over the Arkansas river by Webbers Fall. This caused a 580-ft section to fall into the water, taking 8 vehicles with it.

14 people died including, a three-year-old girl.

A ceremony was held with survivors and victims travelling from Texas and Arkansas.

The memorial stands on the banks of the river near the bridge, featuring a little girl and a dove.

The bridge was rebuilt in record time -reopening in just 64 days.

The tragedy helped highlight the need for more highway funding in Oklahoma, and the state moved from 49th in the nation to 7th for highway bridge conditions after the collapse.

Teresa Schulterman and Billie Eppler lost three members of their family: James and Misty Johnson and three-year-old Shae Johnson.

“It seems like it’s not for real, it’s like a dream or a nightmare that you keep reliving but it gets a, I guess, a little bit better every year, but you still miss them so much,” said Schulterman.

>>>MORE: People in north Tulsa say bridge is falling apart

Three-year-old Shae, would have been turning 24 this year.

“It’s been 20 years and we miss our family every day … Shae would have been turning 24 in August, she was not even four-years-old when it happened,” said Schulterman.

Janette Barlows’s neice, Gail Shanahan, died while pulling a trailer over the bridge. Barlow said the families of the victims and the survivors have formed lasting bonds.

“We find the good in what is left here what is left behind in life.”

She said the community of Webbers Falls has become like family to her.

“If there is anything out of the death of my niece it is the fact that it’s like we’re coming home to our other family the way Webbers Falls has been to us since that accident has been it’s not even describable,” said Barlow.

Chris West is currently a Canadian county sheriff, but 20 years ago he was a lieutenant on patrol on the day of a tragedy.

“Some of those names just stick In your heads you don’t ever get rid of them… you lose a part of yourself but another part of it is it’s an honor to be able to serve people that way.”

Terri Angier was the spokesperson for ODOT at the time

She said the collapsed helped bring changes to way bridges are built in Oklahoma

“I think this incident really brought attention to bridge conditions in general, not necessarily this bridge because it was in good shape, but detour routes so our bridges are now in the top 10 good bridges in the country from the bottom worst.”

Angier continued, “The main channel the two piers had pier protection but this allowed us to also learn to put them on the other piers because the barge basically went off course and also the fact that upstream is where we were putting them and now we’re putting them on north sides.”

>>>MORE: Former ODOT spokesperson talks Webbers Falls bridge collapse, 20 years later

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