In the latest accident involving a major U.S. highway, a barge crashed into a bridge in Galveston on Wednesday, spilling oil into the Gulf and forcing a shutdown in Texas, officials said.
Aerial photos showed part of the track along the bridge appeared to have collapsed, leaving concrete slabs piled on top of the barge.
There were no immediate reports of injuries on the Pelican Island Bridge after the 10 a.m. CT crash, the city of Galveston said.
“The collision caused oil to spill into the bay,” the city said in a statement. “The U.S. Coast Guard is responding and will determine the extent of the spill and begin the containment and cleanup process.”
Pelican Island is home to Texas A&M University at Galveston, a fishing pier, and the Naval Museum.
university simply lost power on campus But it soon recovered, students have access to mealssaid the school.
Galveston Fire Department spokeswoman Marissa Barnett said barges pass under the bridge multiple times a day.
Wednesday’s accident is the latest to hit America’s bridges and highways.
- On March 6, a container ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, killing six people.
- And just two weeks ago, Interstate 95 in Connecticut was shut down after a tanker truck loaded with gasoline caught fire, forcing the closure of one of the East Coast’s most important thoroughfares.
- In late March, a family fishing on the Arkansas River captured footage of a barge crashing into a bridge near Sallisaw, Oklahoma.
- Back in April, more than 20 barges broke loose from their moorings, drifted down the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, and crashed into the Sewickley Bridge.
- The Fort Madison Toll Bridge, which celebrated its 97th anniversary in July and spans the Mississippi River from Fort Madison, Iowa, to Niota, Illinois, was struck by a barge on Thursday.
Burnett, the representative for the Galveston Fire Department, denied any comparisons between the Baltimore bridge collapse and this accident.
“People ask if this is like the Baltimore Bridge, but this is not it,” Marnett said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for the latest information.
