A barge slammed into the Pelican Island Causeway bridge in Galveston County, Texas on Wednesday morning, causing an oil spill and prompting the closure of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
The incident occurred around 10 a.m. when a vessel under tow broke loose and struck the railroad portion of the bridge, damaging it.
The barge was carrying vacuum oil gas with a capacity of 30,000 gallons, resulting in an oil sheen approximately 300 feet long in the bay. Two crew members were rescued after either being thrown or jumping off the vessel during the collision.
Impacts and Response
The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, a critical maritime commercial route along the Texas coast, has been shut down as officials respond to the incident and oil spill. This closure will significantly disrupt operations and maritime traffic in the area.
Pelican Island, located north of Galveston, has been cut off from vehicular access as the Pelican Island Causeway is the only bridge connecting it to the city. Evacuations on the island are expected in the afternoon, and Texas A&M University Galveston, situated on Pelican Island, has issued alerts regarding the bridge closure.
Crews are on-site assessing the damage to the bridge, including four TxDOT inspectors. The city of Galveston is handling evacuation efforts, and authorities are concerned about the bridge’s usability going forward due to the accident.
The U.S. Coast Guard decided to close the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway as the oil spill is heading in that direction, while vacuum oil gas continues to leak from the damaged barge.
