A barge has collided with the Pelican Island Causeway in Galveston Texas, damaging the bridge, closing the roadway to all vehicular traffic and causing an oil spill.
The collision occurred at around 10 a.m. local time. Galveston officials said in a news release that there had been no reported injuries. Video footage obtained by CBS affiliate KHOU appears to show that part of the train trestle that runs along the bridge has collapsed.
Emergency management officials and state officials have 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.
KHOU
The collision caused an oil spill in the bay, officials said in the news release. The U.S. Coast Guard is responding to the spill, and will determine its extent and initiate “containment and cleanup processes,” officials said.
The bridge connects Pelican Island, a community of about 9,000 people, to Galveston, Texas. Officials said that engineers from the Texas Department of Transportation will “inspect the roadway and determine if there is damage.” The bridge will remain closed until it is deemed safe to use.
Pelican Island is also home to Texas A&M University at Galveston.
The incident comes almost seven weeks after a vessel rammed into the Key Bridge in the Port of Baltimore, killing six construction workers.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Source Agencies
