A large barge broke loose and collided with the Fort Madison Bridge in Iowa on Thursday, resulting in the closure of the bridge and prompting concerns reminiscent of the tragic Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Maryland.
A massive barge broke its moorings and crashed into the Fort Madison Bridge in Iowa on Thursday, causing temporary closure and evoking memories of a similar incident in Maryland that led to a bridge collapse and the loss of six lives.
The incident occurred shortly after 1 p.m. CST, when one of 15 barges being towed by a tugboat became loose and struck the railroad bridge connecting Fort Madison, Iowa, and Niota, Illinois. The impact of the collision caused the barge to become lodged against the bridge's double-decked structure.
Fortunately, there were no injuries reported in the incident. The U.S. Coast Guard and local authorities swiftly responded to secure the area and assess the damage to the bridge.
The Fort Madison Bridge, a nearly 100-year-old swing gate bridge, was promptly closed to all traffic to allow for thorough damage assessment by BNSF, the bridge's owner. The bridge features a double-track railway on its lower deck and two lanes of road traffic on its upper deck.
Lee County Sheriff Stacy Weber emphasized the gravity of the situation while acknowledging the absence of injuries.
"I think he contained it as much as possible and I mean, nobody got hurt so that's the main thing," Weber said. "We can fix all this other stuff."
Meanwhile, video footage captured the barge being dislodged and sinking into the Mississippi River, with a boat remaining alongside it. The incident bears striking similarities to the tragic Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 6, when a container ship struck the structure, causing it to fall into the harbor and resulting in the deaths of six construction workers.
"It was just a loud bang and it shook the bridge," Raymond Travis, a train operator who was crossing the bridge at the time, told KHQA. "I don't know what hit it, but it was a massive impact."
Once the damage assessment was completed, BNSF certified the bridge as safe, allowing both rail and vehicular traffic to resume. The bridge is a vital transportation link for the region, with an average of 40 to 100 trains crossing it daily and a strategic location for agricultural commodities.
The cause of the barge breaking loose remains under investigation, and the incident highlights the importance of robust safety measures and regular maintenance of marine infrastructure.
