Barge spills oil after hitting Galveston bridge

A barge carrying oil hit the Pelican Island Causeway, north of Galveston, on Wednesday, according to a statement by Texas A&M Galveston, which is located on the island. The island temporarily lost power after the wreck, but it has since been restored.

What’s the extent of the damage? The bridge was closed to vehicular traffic after a portion of the causeway was damaged, according to local media reports. That damage is still being assessed. The bridge is the only way on or off the island. Crews were also assessing the oil spill left by the ship. As a result of the spill, The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, a commercial waterway along the Texas coast, was shut down Wednesday morning, according to local media.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report in The Stew about the challenges facing a funding drive to repair a Baltimore bridge that collapsed after a barge struck one of its supporting columns.