GALVESTON – A barge struck the Pelican Island Bridge in Galveston on Wednesday morning, causing an oil spill and lanes to close.
Ronnie Varela with the Galveston’s Office of Emergency Management told the Associated Press that the barge hit the bridge, which connects Pelican Island and Galveston, around 9:30 a.m
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KPRC, KSAT’s sister station in Houston, reported that the U.S. Coast Guard and Texas Department of Transportation are responding to the scene.
Injuries, if any, are unknown at this time. KPRC said the crash caused an oil spill, and as a result, the intercoastal waterway was closed.
The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office told KTRK that a large piece of the bridge fell. Pictures broadcast by KTRK showed pieces of concrete on the barge.
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Less than two months ago in Baltimore, a cargo ship lost power and rammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The bridge collapsed in a matter of seconds and six people were killed.
On Sept. 15, 2001, a tugboat and barge struck the Queen Isabella Causeway in Port Isabel. Eleven people driving on the bridge plunged into the water as the causeway collapsed. Only three of them survived.