Barge hits Texas bridge connecting Galveston and Pelican Island, causing partial collapse and oil spill

AUSTIN, Texas — A barge struck a bridge in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, causing an oil spill into the surrounding waters and closing off road access to a small island located north of the city, officials said.

The bridge that links Pelican Island to Galveston was struck at around 10 a.m. local time after a barge broke free from a tugboat and crashed into the pilings of the bridge, Galveston County Emergency Management Director Judge Mark Henry told USA TODAY. Power was temporarily disrupted on the island but secondary power was restored as of 1 p.m. Wednesday.

No injuries were reported in the incident but Henry said two crew members were recovered after they went off the barge due to "the impact or they jumped for fear of being crushed by concrete." TV images and footage showed a section of a railway that runs along the bridge collapsing onto the barge.

Authorities later allowed traffic to exit the island but the bridge remained closed to all other vehicular traffic, Texas A&M University at Galveston confirmed in an afternoon update. Henry said authorities are unable to do a final bridge assessment until the leak is stopped and contained, and the barge is moved.

Galveston officials said emergency management officials from the city, Texas A&M University at Galveston, and the state were responding to the incident. Galveston fire and police departments, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Texas Department of Transportation were also responding.

Engineers from the Texas Department of Transportation went to inspect the roadway for damages and the "bridge will remain closed until it is deemed safe to use," the city said in a statement.

Pelican Island, about 52 miles southeast of Houston, is home to Texas A&M University of Galveston, a naval museum, and Seawolf Park — a former immigration station site that is now a popular fishing pier and attracts tourists to its decommissioned U.S. Navy vessels.

U.S. Coast Guard assessing oil spill

The collision caused an oil spill in the bay, according to city officials. Henry confirmed that vacuum gas oil, which is a combination of hydrocarbons and additives to various kinds of fuel, was leaked into the water.

The barge, which is owned by Martin Petroleum, has a 30,000-gallon capacity but it was not clear how much leaked into the surrounding waters, Galveston County said in a statement on Facebook. The incident led to the closure of about 6.5 miles of the Intracoastal Waterway, according to the county.

"The U.S. Coast Guard is responding and will determine the extent of the spill, as well as initiate the containment and cleanup processes," the city added.

Authorities allow Pelican Island residents to leave

The collision has "caused a bit of a problem" for residents on Pelican Island as the bridge is the only way to get on and off the island, Henry said. He estimated that there are about 200 residents at any given time on the island, with one of the larger residences being Texas A&M University at Galveston dorms.

"In the last couple of hours, the Coast Guard and Texas Department of Transportation have allowed residents to leave Pelican Island," Henry said. "No one is allowed to go back on Pelican Island."

Texas A&M University at Galveston campus closed until Thursday

University officials said Texas A&M University at Galveston will be closed for the remainder of Wednesday and Thursday. Non-essential employees were advised to leave the campus as soon as possible and other employees were told to prepare to work an alternate work location.

"Students and professional staff living on campus may choose to remain on campus or leave," the university said. "Those who reside on campus and leave should be prepared to remain off campus for an unknown period of time."

Latest incident involving U.S. bridges, highways

The Pelican Island Causeway Bridge opened in 1960 and was rated as "Poor," according to the Federal Highway Administration’s most recent data. The federal government classifies a bridge as "structurally deficient" if crucial components such as deck, superstructure, substructure, and culvert conditions are rated less than or equal to 4, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.

The bridge's superstructure was rated at 4 or in "Poor Condition," according to the Federal Highway Administration. Other non-crucial components, including bridge railings, transitions, and guardrails, were rated at 0 and did not meet currently acceptable standards.

The Texas Department of Transportation's Houston District had proposed to replace the bridge with a fixed-span bridge in a new location in Galveston County. The agency planned to begin construction in the summer of 2025 and the replacement was estimated to cost $194 million.

The collision comes amid renewed concerns about aging infrastructure in the United States after a large cargo ship crashed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, collapsing the bridge and killing six people.

Earlier this month, Interstate 95 in Connecticut was closed for several days after a gas tanker crashed and burst into flames, damaging an overpass and closing traffic on the busy highway.