Construction equipment fell off the deck of one of two the barges being moored in the Potomac River after the vessels broke free due to heavy rains and high water Sunday, according to C&O Canal National Historical Park.
The barges remain in place and the contractor is at the site.
The smaller barge lost a mini-excavator, sand sacks, cement, a lime pallet, 20-foot gangway, mortar mixer, and a variety of hand tools. A generator for the spuds still on the barge is being held on the deck by the hydraulic hoses, officials said.
Contractors are compiling a detailed inventory of what may still be onboard the larger barge, however, the contractor believes that all the major items, including a large excavator and crane mats, appear to be intact on the barge.
Coordination with Maryland Department of the Environment has been initiated for potential spill response, waterway impacts, and other implications for equipment and materials that are in the Potomac River, the C&O Canal National Historical Park said Tuesday.
The NPS will continue to support the contractor and work with other partners, including the states of Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia, to coordinate plans to secure and remove the barges and equipment from the river as soon as conditions permit safely doing so, a release said.
The vessels were being moored in the Williamsport/Burkesville area and broke free Sunday due to heavy rains and high water.
The smaller barge got hung up in the river, while the larger barge continued to float down the river, headed toward the D.C. area. Police said it hit a Norfolk Railway bridge.
The larger barge was held in place at the remnants of Dam 3, and the smaller barge was caught below Dam 4.
Police closed other bridges to vehicle traffic as a precaution in case a barge hit them, as it approached and went under them.
Both barges are from the McMahon’s Mill construction site, NPS said. The barges are loaded with rocks and equipment being used to shore up the C&O Canal Towpath along the Potomac River near McMahon’s Mill, approximately three miles north of Dam 4.
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