Does anyone have an update? My news came from Google.
If the bridge is substantially damaged the southern transcon will be shut down.
Does not appear serious (except to the barge involved, which later sank).
I hesitate to use Fox as a source, but they have video and many details in one place:
https://www.foxnews.com/us/large-barge-crashes-historic-fort-madision-bridge-iowa-later-sinks.amp
Bridge was said to have been "reopened" around 4:15, which I assume means to rail traffic.
Usually these floating whatevers win such as Baltimore and Sunset limited. However, this time the bridge won and sunk the barge.
Seriously though, It is time to change some maritime laws. These limitations of liability for collisions need changing. Now for the high seas expect that a new UN treaty with ratification by a number of countries is needed. But heere in the US can it be changed absent international approval? Have no idea!
blue streak 1Usually these floating whatevers win such as Baltimore and Sunset limited. However, this time the bridge won and sunk the barge. Seriously though, It is time to change some maritime laws. These limitations of liability for collisions need changing. Now for the high seas expect that a new UN treaty with ratification by a number of countries is needed. But heere in the US can it be changed absent international approval? Have no idea!
Water vessels usually DO NOT win the allisions with bridges. Bridge strikes - both on land and over water are unfortunately common occurences - at least on the territories I have had authority over, which is nominally the entire East Coast as I worked on multiple CSX divisions over the years. With every reported strike Bridge & Building personnel are notified to inspect the facility before train traffic is resumed.
Allisions with significant bridge damage are the exception, not the rule.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Positive Barge Control!
methinks BNSF was lucky that they had a steel bridge inspector or structures supervisor so close to the bridge when this happened...
Not sure of the tonnage of the barge - per the attached site they load about 1,550 tons of grain per barge on the Upper Mississippi - so maybe 2,500 tons max.
https://www.soytransportation.org/KeyFindings/BargeStatisticsForGrainsAndSoybeans.pdf
The MV Dali is 95,128 tons empty and 116,851 tons full load
https://www.vesselfinder.com/vessels/details/9697428
So the mass and resulting force that hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge was likely at least 40 times greater (and likely more depending on the speeds at impact) than the mass and resulting force that hit the Fort Madison bridge.
I think the story indicated this barge broke away and, if so, was drifting without a push.
diningcarI think the story indicated this barge broke away and, if so, was drifting without a push.
I am a proponent for Suspension spans over the navigable waterways. We are never going to reach a level of operation where the barges never seem to float away from the tugboat Captains or Ship Captains never seem to have a ship that fully functions all the time. Understood in a lot of cases that means approach and descending grades. The St. Louis bridges seemed to have tackled that already though. Maybe get the Feds involved here with funding to speed this up across the country with both railroad and road bridges. They will still need dolphins of course to protect suspension bridge supports but far less of them. Also, less moving parts to maintain with suspension bridges. With less obstructions in the riverflow, potentially the river would be a little less challenging to navigate?
CMStPnPThey will still need dolphins of course to protect suspension bridge supports but far less of them.
Depends on how far they wish to span. The piers for the two Blue Water Bridges at Port Huron / Sarnia are both on shore.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
I don't know why the FSK Bridge had such 'narrow' piers for the span, I suspect to be able to lengthen the grade for the automotive traffic path and thus decrease the effective grade to get to to the height necessary to clear ocean going vessels, especially as it was expected this would be the primary route for trucks whose cargos are not permitted to operate through the pair of harbor tunnels. Additionally commerical vessel size has grown exponentially from the period in time when the FSK bridge was being designed. Vessels the size of the Dali weren't even a dream, let alone the nightmare that actually struck and destroyed the bridge.
CMStPnPI am a proponent for Suspension spans over the navigable waterways.
The only suspension bridge in the US that I am aware of that was use for railroad (other than transit rail) was the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge, that itself was replaced with a steel arch bridge in 1897. Even on highways today, suspension bridges seem to have lost favor to cable-stayed bridges.
The San Francisco Bay Bridge had railroad tracks on the lower level up until 1957. These were originally for the Key System, SP's East Bay service and the Sacramento Northern, but the latter two dropped out ca 1940. The MU's on these trains had nowhere near a freight trains weight per foot, so this would not be a good example of suspension bridges for normal RR service. In essence, suspension bridges are not rigid enough for railroad service.
I have my doubts about cable stayed bridges having the rigidity needed for railroad service, but keep in mind that I am not a civil engineer.
The George Washington Bridge was famously designed for an extension of the IND into Northern New Jersey in the 1920s, and when the Martha Washington Bridge was finished in the early 1960s, space for the two tracks was preserved between the eastbound and westbound road lanes.
CMStPnP I am a proponent for Suspension spans over the navigable waterways.
I am a proponent for Suspension spans over the navigable waterways.
A rather expensive solution for this issue, especially if you include the Chicago River and Calumet River and similar rivers and canals in your classification for navigable waterways.
Here's the Virtual Railfan "Grab Bag" episode that showed the barges - it appears several barges broke loose. Starts about 21:35 in....
BARGES BREAK LOOSE, VEHICLE SCRAPED BY ENGINE, CROSSING ARM DESTROYED BY TRUCK & ENGINE! (youtube.com)
mudchicken Positive Barge Control! methinks BNSF was lucky that they had a steel bridge inspector or structures supervisor so close to the bridge when this happened...
(BNSF/UP)....fortunately, I think the railroads no longer service Pelican Island and just stay over on Galveston Island?
Galveston combined RR and highway bridge hit by barge. See picvtures in link. Now no access to Galveston by car or rail. It is not pretty. RR portion of column suppors bad breakup. Again is the barge company cite soome obscure law to avoid paying for total restoration? It is time to change US law!!!
Barge hits a bridge in Galveston, Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill (msn.com)
It is always open season on bridges - they will either be overloaded or impacted no matter what they are spaning.
blue streak 1Galveston combined RR and highway bridge hit by barge. See pictures in link. Now no access to Galveston by car or rail.
From the story: "Flores [the Galveston bridge superintendent] said the rail line only serves as protection for the structure and has never been used." It appears to have done that job reasonably well under the circumstances.
Overmod blue streak 1 Galveston combined RR and highway bridge hit by barge. See pictures in link. Now no access to Galveston by car or rail. No real damage to either lane of the bridge. From the story: "Flores [the Galveston bridge superintendent] said the rail line only serves as protection for the structure and has never been used." It appears to have done that job reasonably well under the circumstances.
blue streak 1 Galveston combined RR and highway bridge hit by barge. See pictures in link. Now no access to Galveston by car or rail.
No real damage to either lane of the bridge.
First time I have ever heard of a rail line on a bridge bein 'protection for the structure' and never having been used.
A search on "ships crashing into bridges" brings up some 35 where the bridge has actually collapsed. Most of the early results from the search were focused on Baltimore - so I didn't take the time to dig further.
It's a common tale, it's true.
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