Concerns have been raised by various sources after the US suffered another bridge collision caused by a vessel, but journalism think tank The Poynter Institute is cautioning against jumping to any conclusions.
The allision incident – when a moving vessel collides with a stationary object – happened on Wednesday morning at about 9:30 when a barge rammed into a bridge connecting the city of Galveston with Pelican Island.
Although the incident is not as serious as the March 26 one that brought down a long-span truss over the Patapsco River south of the Port of Baltimore, the allision caused a section of a decommissioned rail line to collapse in the Galveston Channel separating the island from the city.
The causeway, a crucial link to shipyards and maritime industry facilities, including Texas A&M University’s maritime college, has been closed while investigators assess the scene.
Oil pollution mop-up operations are also under way.
According to The Poynter Institute, it should be kept in mind that allisions in the US happen with regularity.
Last year alone, 621 581 bridge accidents, over land and water were reported.
It also refers to a 2018 report for PIANC, The World Association for Waterborne Transit Infrastructure, whereby it was found that from 1960 to 2015 “there were 35 major bridge collapses worldwide – events in which structures collapsed and/or lives were lost – because of ship or barge collisions, killing 342 people”.
Of these 18 – more than half the total amount – took place in the US.
