WTOL.com, Toledo's News Leader, News 11 | Barge Hits CSX Rail Bridge

Barge Hits CSX Rail Bridge

EAST TOLEDO -- Crews have dislodged a tug and a barge from the mouth of the Maumee River.  The Coast Guard says the tug "Michigan" and a barge carrying 40,000 barrels of gasoline hit the CSX Rail bridge just north and east of downtown Toledo.

It happened just after 9:00am Thursday morning as the barge was fighting the currents in the Maumee River.  Several tugs were able to free the barge just after 12:00 noon.  No one was hurt, and no gasoline was spilled.

CSX says about 13 trains were held up, since the bridge was stuck in the open position.  The CSX Operations Center says train crews were also being told to be aware of crossings, and try not to block them. 

Two big concerns for the Coast Guard were gasoline leaking into the river and an explosion.  Electricity was cut to the bridge and the immediate area was evacuated.  "It was a double hull barge.  The probablity, even if the extracation of the tug and barge hadn't gone smoothely, there was still a low probability the inner hull would have been breached," says Coast Guard Commander Chris Roberge.

Neither the bridge nor the barge were damaged.  The Coast Guard refuses to speculate about the cause, but admits strong river currents may have played a role in the accident  The investigation into the exact cause will take several months.

The Maumee River is running at or near flood stage.  Heavy rains in the past couple of weeks has the water level up, and the amount of debris up.

Updated 6:45pm, Thursday, June 17, 2004