A barge has caused a major disturbance to those in the Galveston, Texas, area after it struck a bridge connecting Galveston to Pelican Island, leaving those on the island stranded and temporarily without power.
'Nearly seven miles of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway had to be shut down because of an oil spill from the barge.'
Just before 10 a.m. on Wednesday, a tugboat pushing two barges lost control, causing one barge — owned by Martin Petroleum — to strike the unused railroad track that runs along the Pelican Island Causeway as well as two telephone poles.
"The current was very bad, and the tide was high. He lost it," said David Flores, a bridge superintendent with the Galveston County Navigation District.
The causeway is the only means for motor vehicles to access Pelican Island, the home of Texas A&M University at Galveston.
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The collision caused a portion of the rail track to collapse onto the barge. Two individuals on the barge either fell or jumped into the water as a result of the accident, but they were quickly rescued. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported.
The accident also caused a number of inconveniences for those on land. For one thing, the bridge had to be closed for hours, leaving Pelican Island residents stranded. Officials have considered evacuating the island by boat, though whether any residents have yet been removed from it is unclear.
Pelican Island also lost power for some time after the crash, though a secondary source soon restored power by 1 p.m. TAMU at Galveston likely has few people on campus, as graduation was held earlier this month, but the university did offer Captain’s Landing as a location where those still on campus can access food.
Finally, six and a half miles of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway had to be shut down because of an oil spill from the barge. The barge has an oil capacity of 30,000 gallons and was leaking what has been described as "vacuum gas oil." The extent of the oil spill has not yet been determined, but officials with the U.S. Coast Guard are assessing the situation and are expected give an update and a report about containment measures soon.
Folks in Galveston can still drive along Harborside Drive, though police are in the area to divert traffic from the bridge. One lane of the bridge has already reportedly been reopened, but officials with the Texas Department of Transportation will determine when regular traffic may safely resume.
Martin Petroleum Corp. did not respond to phone calls from Reuters seeking comment.
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A massive container ship attempting to leave the waters around New York City Friday reportedly suffered a similar issue to that experienced by the vessel that tragically brought the historic Francis Scott Key Bridge crashing into Baltimore Harbor late last month.
Unlike the Singapore-flagged Dali, the propulsion problem suffered by the APL Qingdao did not ultimately prove to be calamitous.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed to the New York Post that the APL Qingdao, a 1,145-foot, 89,000-ton ship flying under the Malta flag, lost propulsion around 8:30 p.m. while sailing along the shipping lane between Staten Island and Bayonne, New Jersey.
According to John Konrad, a maritime journalist and the CEO of gCaptain, the three tugboats that had been escorting the ship down the 3-mile Kill Van Kull waterway were aided by another three in an effort to bring the ship under control.
The ship subsequently dropped anchor just north of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
BREAKING: A NY tugboat captain has reported to @gCaptain \u201ccontainer ship APL QINGDAO lost power while transiting New York harbor. They had 3 escort tugs but 3 more were needed to bring her under control. They regained power & were brought to anchor near the verrazano bridge\u201d— (@)
"Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service New York received a report from the M/V APL Qingdao around 8:30pm, Friday, that the vessel had experienced a loss of propulsion in the Kill Van Kull waterway," the Coast Guard said in a statement obtained by the Post.
"The vessel regained propulsion and was assisted to safely anchor in Stapleton Anchorage, outside of the navigable channel just north of the Verrazano Bridge, by three towing vessels," continued the statement. "These towing vessels were escorting the vessel as a routine safety measure, which is a common practice for large vessels departing their berth."
Prior to leaving, the crew had to submit a casualty report accounting for what caused the loss of power. CBS News noted that repairs were also made to the ship's system following the incident.
At the time of publication, VesselFinder indicated that the ship had successfully made its way out of the New York harbor and was nearing its destination of Norfolk, Virginia.
Staten Island Assemblyman Charles Fall (D) told SILive.com, "While the swift response by tugboats to secure the vessel prevented immediate harm, this incident further highlights the urgent need for comprehensive safety reviews of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the Goethals Bridge, the Bayonne Bridge, and the Outerbridge Crossing."
"The recent disaster at the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland is a harrowing reminder of what could happen if we fail to prioritize the integrity of our infrastructure," added Fall.
BREAKING: Ship collides with Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse— (@)
Two weeks after power outages and a propulsion problem allegedly sent the container ship Dali crashing into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, divers continue to search for bodies. At least six people are believed to be dead.
Officials announced Friday that they had recovered the body of a third victim, 38-year-old Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, reported the Independent.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers indicated that a new channel will be ready for use by month's end, enabling ships to enter and leave the second-busiest port in the mid-Atlantic.
Gov. Wes Moore (D) told CBS News' "Face the Nation" that maritime operations in the Port of Baltimore could be functional as early as May.
March was apparently a bad month for American bridges and boats.
A bridge over the Arkansas River south of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, was also struck by a boat late last month. Despite a powerful thwacking sound, there was minimal damage and no casualties.
The Associated Press reported that a barge struck a pier holding Highway 59 over the river on March 30. After a brief road closure, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation indicated that the structure was subsequently deemed sound by engineers and safe to transit.
Barge crashes into the Arkansas River Bridge in Oklahoma— (@)
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Engineering priorities have become secondary to other interests, which is why we cannot have nice things quickly at a reasonable cost.
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