Interstate 5 bridge collapses in Skagit County, Wash.

MOUNT VERNON, Wash., May 23 (UPI) -- The Skagit River Bridge in Skagit County, Wash., collapsed Thursday, sending the north and southbound lanes of Interstate 5 into the water, police said.

People and vehicles were in the water, KIRO-TV, Seattle, quoted Washington State Patrol officials as saying.

The bridge, between south of Burlington and north of Mount Vernon, collapsed just after 7 p.m., the TV station said.

The Skagit River Bridge is one of 156 state-owned bridges classified as structurally deficient as of Sept. 1, 2011, state Transportation Department records indicate.

Drivers were cautioned to find alternate routes.