From Houston Public Media:
A barge carrying petroleum products crashed into a bridge in Galveston on Wednesday morning, resulting in an oil spill and causing Pelican Island to be inaccessible to vehicle traffic, according to local authorities.
No injuries have been reported as a result of the collision, which happened at about 10 a.m., the City of Galveston said in a news release. The crash resulted in a temporary power outage on Pelican Island, which is north of Galveston Island and home to Texas A&M University at Galveston, according to a social media post by the Galveston County Office of Emergency Management, which said at about 1 p.m. that electricity had been restored.
The barge that crashed into the Pelican Island Bridge is owned by New York-based Martin Petroleum and was carrying vacuum gas oil, the office of emergency management said. The spill into Galveston Bay has prompted a 6.5-mile stretch of the Intracoastal Waterway to be closed.
“The capacity of the barge is 30,000 gallons and the amount that has leaked out is unknown,” the Galveston County Office of Emergency Management wrote in its post. “… Vehicle traffic across the Pelican Island Bridge has been halted. Vessel traffic in the channel has also been halted.”
Local, state and federal authorities responded to the crash. The U.S. Coast Guard is determining the extent of the oil spill and will initiate containment and cleanup initiatives, according to the City of Galveston, which said the Texas Department of Transportation is assessing damage to the bridge and accompanying roadway, which is the only way for car and truck drivers to travel between Galveston and Pelican islands.
“The bridge will remain closed until it is deemed safe to use,” the City of Galveston said.
East-west traffic on Harborside Drive, which is just south of the bridge on the north side of Galveston Island, remained open. But drivers will not be able to turn north toward the bridge from the intersection of Harborside and 51st Street, according to the city.
This is a developing story.
