A barge collided with the Pelican Island Land Bridge in Galveston, Texas. Damages the bridgeClosing the road to all vehicular traffic and causing an oil spill.
The clash took place around 10 am local time. Galveston officials said in a news release that there were no injuries. Video footage obtained by CBS affiliate KHOU shows part of a train trestle running on the bridge collapsed.
According to Richard Freed, vice president of the marine division at Martin Midstream Partners LP, the vessel broke from its tug and went into the bridge. Freed said the vessel is owned and operated by Martin Operating Partnership LP, a subsidiary of Martin Midstream Partners, and said crews were on scene.
The ship’s captain has more than 20 years of maritime experience, Freed said.
CBS affiliate KHOU
Emergency management officials and state officials responded to the scene, along with members of the Galveston police and fire departments, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Texas Department of Transportation.
The collision caused a vacuum gas oil spill, which is used to make transportation fuels and other byproducts, according to the Galveston Office of Emergency Management. The agency said oil in the water was visually confirmed and the inland waterway was closed for about 6 1/2 miles. The U.S. Coast Guard is responding to the spill and will determine its size and begin “containment and cleanup processes,” officials said.
Officials said the barge has a capacity of about 30,000 gallons. The extent of the spill is unknown, but Freed said a “limited amount of product” spilled into the waterway.
“At this time, no product is leaking from the boat,” Freed said.
The collision caused a brief power outage on Pelican Island, Galveston officials said on social media. Secondary power has been restored, officials said.
The bridge connects Pelican Island with a population of about 9,000 to Galveston, Texas. Pelican Island is also home to Texas A&M University in Galveston.
Texas Department of Transportation engineers will “inspect the roadway and determine if there is damage,” officials said. The bridge remains closed until deemed safe for use.
The barge is at the collision site. Freed said Martin Midstream Partners is assisting a salvage company with removal from the area.
This incident occurred approximately seven weeks after a collision with a ship Main bridge In Baltimore Harbor, a large portion of a bridge collapsed, killing six construction workers.
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