A barge struck a bridge in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday morning, causing the partial collapse of an adjacent rail line and an oil spill, according to the city.
The Pelican Island Causeway Bridge, which connects Galveston Island to Pelican Island to its north, was closed until engineers could assess whether the two-lane structure was safe for motorists to cross.
Video of the damaged bridge — the only one connecting the small island to Galveston — circulated on social media and showed a section of rail line along the causeway had collapsed into Galveston Bay.
BRIDGE CLOSURE | A barge struck the Pelican Island Causeway, shutting it down in both directions this morning. The bridge connects the north side of Galveston Island just west of the Port of Galveston with the south side of Pelican Island.
Full story: https://t.co/Y0rXOcGs1n pic.twitter.com/3FD6o3DGuh
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) May 15, 2024
The city of Galveston announced numerous road closures in the area and said multiple local, state and federal agencies were at the scene.
“Emergency management officials from the City of Galveston, Texas A&M University at Galveston, and the state – as well as Galveston fire and police departments, U.S. Coast Guard and Texas Department of Transportation – are responding to the incident,” the city said in a news release.
Officials in Galveston added:
“The collision has resulted in an oil spill in the bay. The U.S. Coast Guard is responding and will determine the extent of the spill, as well as initiate the containment and cleanup processes.
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“Engineers from the Texas Department of Transportation are also en route to inspect the roadway and determine if there is damage. The bridge will remain closed until it is deemed safe to use. The City of Galveston will provide updates about this as information becomes available.”
The Pelican Island Bridge in Galveston is closed to all vehicular traffic after a barge collision on Wednesday morning at approximately 10 a.m. There were no reported injuries. Pelican Island is inaccessible to car traffic. More info: https://t.co/5dS5PI7kaG pic.twitter.com/xQKJNfmGEO
— City of Galveston (@CityofGalveston) May 15, 2024
The Galveston County Office of Emergency Management said in a statement the barge that struck the bridge was owned by a company called Martin Petroleum and that people on Pelican Island had briefly lost electricity.
At approximately 10:00am, a barge owned by Martin Petroleum collided with the Pelican Island Bridge that connects Galveston Island to Pelican Island. Power was temporarily interrupted to Pelican Island, which is home to Texas A&M Galveston. Secondary power has been restored. pic.twitter.com/5zTOs2ODIb
— Galveston County OEM (@galvcountyoem) May 15, 2024
As of midday, those on the island were not permitted to leave by vehicle.
KHOU-TV reported the Texas Department of Transportation was inspecting the causeway bridge to determine whether it was structurally sound.
Texas A&M University at Galveston updated students and the public about the situation throughout late Wednesday morning and early Wednesday afternoon on social media platform X.
Sea Aggie Alert: The Pelican Island Bridge is closed to all traffic at this time due to a barge strike. Electricity has been restored and additional updates will be provided as the situation unfolds. The next scheduled update will be at 1200. pic.twitter.com/s9pObegbJU
— Texas A&M Galveston 👍🌊 (@AggiesByTheSea) May 15, 2024
Just after noon, the school said that the bridge remained closed, but that power had been restored and that its dining facility was open to anyone who needed to use it.
Update (2/2): Captain’s Landing is open and available for dining needs. We will communicate additional information at 2 p.m.
— Texas A&M Galveston 👍🌊 (@AggiesByTheSea) May 15, 2024
No injuries were reported.
The incident in South Texas occurred just two months after a cargo ship knocked out Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six people and closing the city’s port.
