A major bridge in Texas has been struck by a cargo ship causing a partial collapse, according to breaking reports.
The massive barge crashed into the Pelican Island Bridge in Galveston on Wednesday morning.
The incident has brought traffic to and from a small residential island to a standstill.
Officials are currently scrambling to determine whether the structure is safe from collapse.
The incident happened around 10 am on Wednesday, according to the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office.
The strike caused a piece of a railway line attached to the Pelican Island Causeway to fall into the water.
However, the majority of the bridge appears to be intact.
According to KPRC, the incident resulted in an oil spill.
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The bridge has been closed to traffic in both directions.
Part of the railway line could be seen on top of the barge.
The U.S. Coast Guard has also been called to the scene.
The bridge is the only way in and out of Pelican Island.
The island is home to a Texas A&M University at Galveston campus.
Details are limited at the time of writing so it’s unclear what led up to the strike.
However, Galveston officials said the barge hit the bridge, causing an oil spill.
No injuries have been reported, as of this writing.
Galveston officials also confirmed that TxDot engineers are responding to the scene.
The intercostal waterway will be shut down, due to the oil spill spreading in that direction, according to Galveston officials.
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Video shows an aerial view after a massive barge crashed into Pelican Island Bridge in Texas pic.twitter.com/uCjB3YClG4
— Slay News (@Slay_News_) May 15, 2024
Additionally, Texas A&M has canceled classes for the day, which roughly affected only 30 students because it’s the end of the semester.
Posts on social media suggest the incident has led to power cuts in the A&M campus.
However, power has now reportedly been restored to campus.
This is a developing story…
Check back for updates.
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