A Texas bridge was struck by a barge Wednesday afternoon causing an oil spill and closure.
A Texas bridge was struck by a barge Wednesday morning causing an oil spill in the bay and a closure of the only road to an island that's home to a university.
The tugboat was pushing what are called bunker barges, which are fuel barges for ships, Flores said. The collision resulted in oil spilling from the barge into the bay and crews were working to clean it up, he said. The capacity of the barge is 30,000 gallons. County officials said the amount that has leaked out is unknown.
Aerial video showed portions of a rail line that runs parallel to the bridge on top of the barge. Flores said the rail line only serves as protection for the structure and has never been used.Pelican Island, which is connected to Galveston by the bridge, is home to a large shipyard, Texas A&M University of Galveston, and Seawolf Park, a former immigration station that now attracts tourists to its iconic fishing pier and decommissioned U.S. Navy vessels.
Crews from the Texas Department of Transportation are on the scene assessing the damage, according to a spokeswoman for the city of Galveston. The bridge is expected to remain closed until it is deemed safe to use.A photo posted on X showed a column from the bridge down.Texas A&M noted in its post that electricity went out, but was restored.Agencies on the scene are with the city of Galveston, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Texas Department of Transportation and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Barge Bridge Oil Spill Texas A&M Pelican Island Closure U.S. Coast Guard
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