As a precautionary measure, Pittsburgh officials said the Ohio River was under a flood warning after 26 barges loaded with coal broke loose in the Ohio River late Friday, drifting miles downstream and damaging marinas. Some bridges were closed.
The McKees Rocks Police Department said in a statement early Saturday morning confirming the closure of the bridges that there was a risk that a barge could hit the “substructure” of one of the bridges, the McKees Rocks Bridge. The ministry said it closed the bridge because it “didn't want to take any risks.”
The City of Pittsburgh said in a statement that the barge is owned and operated by Campbell Transportation Company, which is based just downstream of the West End Bridge, and that the railroad bridge to nearby Blue Knot Island was closed as well. .
The city said the barge caused “significant damage” to a marina near Bruno Island while traveling down the river. At least 11 barges were found anchored to the riverbank near the island and tied up by tugboats, the city said. However, the other ships continued downstream, and six of them crossed Emsworth Dam, about eight miles away.
The bridge closure comes just weeks after a container ship collided with the Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse, killing six workers, disrupting vital transportation links and triggering a massive salvage operation. Ta. The March 26 collapse raised concerns about structural deficiencies in many major bridges across the country.
Pittsburgh authorities began searching around 11:25 p.m. after receiving initial reports of several barges adrift, according to the Allegheny County 911 Center shift commander.
It was unclear early Saturday why the barge had escaped or whether there were any injuries. The city said three of the barges were empty, but added that 23 were loaded with dry cargo such as coal and no hazardous materials.
McKee's Rocks Bridge opened in 1931 and stretches over a mile over the Ohio River. As part of the Blue Belt (the innermost of several roads that circle Pittsburgh), this bridge connects Pittsburgh with the Borough of McKees Rocks. About 25,000 vehicles pass through it every day, according to 2023 data from the Federal Highway Administration.
The West End Bridge, opened in 1932, connects the West End with Pittsburgh's North Side and is more than 400 feet long. Approximately 42,000 vehicles use the bridge each day, according to federal data. The railroad bridge to Blue Knot Island, known as the Ohio Connecting Railroad Bridge, opened in 1915 and carries two railroad tracks.
Flood warnings were in effect for Allegheny County, which includes the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, until Saturday night, and by early Saturday, water levels had risen to 25 feet, above flood stage, according to the National Weather Service.