(The following report appeared on the Toledo Blade website on June 18.)
TOLEDO, Ohio — A barge loaded with 40,000 barrels of premium gasoline struck pilings protecting a Maumee River railroad bridge yesterday morning and ran aground, blocking the bridge for several hours but causing only minor damage and no spill.
An investigation is under way, but high water and the resulting strong current are believed to have played a substantial role in the incident, said Lt. Cmdr. Mark Skolnicki, a spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Office in Toledo.
The barge Great Lakes, being pushed by the tug Michigan, hit the CSX Transportation bridge pilings about 9 a.m., Commander Skolnicki said. With the assistance of other tugs, it was pushed loose shortly after noon and completed its trip to the nearby BP petroleum terminal on the East Toledo side of the river.
The incident caused “minor dings on the bridge” and minimal damage to the vessel, the Coast Guard spokesman said.
After an inspection, the bridge reopened to rail traffic at 1:30 p.m., said Gary Sease, a CSX spokesman. Fifteen trains were delayed while the span was obstructed, and more congestion was likely during the day while the backup was cleared, he said.
Specifics about the river current were not immediately available, but the Maumee has been swollen in recent days by persistent heavy rainfall, which has caused flooding upstream.
The tug belongs to Keystone Shipping, based in eastern Pennsylvania.