Barge Slams into Connecticut Railroad Bridge
By Thomas Hall
Published on September 12, 2006
The accident occurred after the towline that connected the 310-foot barge to a tugboat snapped. The bridge was closed to railroad traffic for two hours in the late afternoon after the accident obliterated a 75-foot-long fender, which was designed to protect the bridge in the event of an impact with a vessel.
Thirty boats were stranded because of the accident. Trains were later allowed to resume travel at lower speeds over the bridge.
The barge transports fuel, but it was empty at the time of the crash. It is still not known what caused the vessel’s towline to become dislodged from the tugboat. The U.S. Coast Guard is currently investigating the incident. There were no reported injuries.
Keyword Tags: