A barge collision in Galveston, Texas has caused a major oil spill and led to the closure of a crucial bridge connecting the city to Pelican Island. The incident occurred when a tugboat lost control of two barges it was pushing, resulting in one of them striking the bridge and knocking down telephone poles.
Fortunately, only one person on the barge was thrown into the water during the collision and was quickly rescued with no reported injuries. However, the spill caused oil to leak into the channel off Galveston Bay, leading to the closure of 6.5 miles of waterway. The closure has had significant consequences, as the bridge is the only road linking the two areas.
The bridge, which was scheduled for replacement in 2025 due to its poor condition, had not been inspected since December 2021. With an average daily traffic of about 9,100 cars and trucks, it was already deemed “Poor” in the Federal Highway Administration’s 2023 National Bridge Inventory.
In response to the incident, Texas A & M University in Galveston closed its campus and directed non-essential employees to leave. Students were advised to prepare for the possibility of remaining off-campus indefinitely. The environmental impact of the oil spill is still being assessed, and cleanup efforts are underway to contain the damage caused by the collision.
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