Barge Hits Texas Bay Bridge
The incident caused an oil spill.
“Pelican Island bridge reopens for evacuation-only after barge slams into span, causing oil spill,” reported Mycah Hatfield, Daniela Hurtado, and Chaz Miller for ABC13 Eyewitness News on May 15, 2024.
“A barge hit the Pelican Island Causeway Wednesday morning, damaging a portion of the bridge and causing an oil spill in the bay, according to the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office,” they began. “The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is shut down for approximately 6.5 miles between marker 350.5 to 357 as officials respond to this incident, County Judge Mark Henry said, adding that the oil spill is heading in that direction, so the U.S. Coast Guard decided to move forward with the closure.”
This incident comes on the heels of a similar March incident during which the Francis Scott Key bridge was struck by a cargo ship.
“Baltimore Bridge Collapses After Being Struck by Cargo Ship in ‘Mass Casualty’ Event,” Kirsty Hatcher and Escher Walcott informed readers of People Magazine on March 26, 2024. “The vessel struck the Francis Key Scott Bridge in the early hours of Tuesday morning.”
“Six presumed dead after cargo ship crash levels Baltimore bridge,” Julia Jester, Patrick Smith, Phil Helsel, and Corky Siemaszko for NBC News on March 26, 2024. “The six vanished after the…