A barge struck a bridge in Galveston, Texas , causing an oil spill in the surrounding waters and resulting in the closure of the only road to a small island.
The bridge that connects to Pelican Island, just north of Galveston, was struck by a barge at approximately 10am local time, according to the Galveston Office of Emergency Management. The circumstances under which the incident occurred are still unclear.
No injuries have been reported so far, and authorities are working to assess the extent of the damage to the bridge as well as the oil spill. Residents at Pelican Island are also faced with power outages due to temporary interruptions, authorities said.
Aerial footage captured parts of a rail line no longer in service that straddles the bridge, falling atop the barge. Confirming the oil leak as a result of the collision, spokesperson Ronnie Varela shared that teams were hard at work remedying the situation.
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KTRK was informed by the Galveston County Sheriff's Office of a massive chunk of the bridge plunging downwards. The broadcast company also displayed pictures demonstrating fragments of concrete on the barge.
The owner of a catering business in Galveston shared on social media that they were not deterred by the disrupted traffic, and instead went about their business by embarking on a boat to reach Pelican Island.
Chopin Mon Ami Catering shared a video of their crew boarding the boat on Facebook and wrote: "This morning my crew was headed over to Gulf Copper to cater for 200 guests.
"A barge hit the Pelican Island Bridge and my crew could not make the delivery. We do not let such things stop us from catering! We delivered catering in a Tropical Storm once. So, we just went by water to get our catering to our client!"
Texas A&M University at Galveston disclosed information about the accident via an online statement. "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."
Located in Galveston County, Texas Pelican Island is part of the city of Galveston and is only linked to Galveston Island by the Pelican Island causeway. The island is home to the Texas A&M University at Galveston as well as two museum ships—the destroyer escort USS Stewart (DE-238) and the submarine USS Cavalla (SS-244)—and Seawolf Park.
A Galveston County OEM update read: "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.
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"Vehicle traffic across the Pelican Island Bridge has been halted. Vessel traffic in the channel has also been halted. Structural impact to the Pelican Island Bridge is being assessed by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
"Vacuum gas oil from the barge has been visually confirmed in the water, causing a closing of the Intracoastal Waterway from Mile Marker 350.5 to Mile Marker 357, approximately 6.5 miles. The capacity of the barge is 30,000 gallons and the amount that has leaked out is unknown.
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"Responders on scene include the United States Coast Guard, Galveston City Office of Emergency Management, Galveston County Office of Emergency Management, Galveston City Fire and EMS, Texas Department of Transportation, Texas A&M Galveston, Port of Galveston Police, Galveston County Office of Emergency Management, Galveston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Galveston County Health District, and the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
"Galveston County and our partners will continue assessing the situation."
The City of Galveston, Texas - Government also said in a statement: "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.
"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.
"Harborside Drive is open to east-west traffic; however, drivers will not be able to turn north toward Pelican Island from 51st and Harborside. Galveston police officers are in the area detouring traffic.
"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.
"Engineers from the Texas Department of Transportation are also enroute 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.
"Texas A&M University at Galveston officials are assessing campus impacts in coordination with city, county and state officials and will issue a communication at 12 p.m. and at 2 p.m. through the university’s emergency alert system, university email and social media.
"This is the latest update as of 12 p.m. The City of Galveston will provide information as it becomes available."
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