Kentucky Bridge Collapses After Being Struck By Cargo Ship 1/27/2012

This happened last night very close to where I live. A cargo ship struck a bridge collapsing two sections which fell onto the ship. At the moment there are no known injuries, but it could have been very bad. All bridge traffic and water traffic has been closed. This bridge is the only one that crosses the river in this area so long detours will happen for quite some time. This is also a very busy river traffic area, and could hold up barge traffic for several days or weeks. This will severely effect travel in the area. I've heard rumors that the ship may have been carrying rocket parts, but I haven't been able to confim the ship's cargo yet.

There may be some legal issues here as well because of the bridge's lights were not properly working, but they were scheduled to be worked on.

I will upload some more pictures and information as soon as they are available.



www.foxnews.com...

Two spans of a southwest Kentucky bridge collapsed after being struck by a cargo ship that carried aviation parts. No injuries were immediately reported, state transportation officials said.

The Delta Mariner struck the main span of the Eggner Ferry Bridge on Thursday evening at U.S. Highway 68 and Kentucky Highway 80, said Keith Todd, spokesman for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. State inspectors are on their way to determine how much of the bridge, which opened to traffic in 1932, was damaged

Officials said the bridge was closed to traffic, causing vehicles needing to cross the Kentucky Lake reservoir and the Tennessee River to be detoured for dozens of miles. The Coast Guard also blocked access to boat traffic at the bridge site.

www.cadizrecord.com...

The center portion of the US 68/Ky. 80 Eggner's Ferry Bridge at Kentucky Lake has collapsed after being struck by a large container boat, according to information from Keith Todd of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and from Trigg County officials.

The Delta Mariner is 300-foot cargo ship that was traveling from New Orleans to Decatur, Ill., according to a Jan. 17 update on marinetraffic.com

www.wpsdlocal6.com...

The Delta Mariner is a 312-foot-long ocean vessel that was built to ferry Boeing Delta IV rockets. The ship is 82 feet wide and stands 50 feet tall. It has a top speed of 15 knots in the open sea.

It varies its draught by using water as ballast, allowing it to cruise in waters as shallow as nine feet at up to five knots, according to Space.com.

The Coast Guard has closed Kentucky Lake and the Tennessee River to boat traffic at the site.

Some of the lights were not working on the bridge. The Coast Guard notified barge companies of the lighting problem, and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) had planned to restrict traffic to one lane Friday to allow electrical work on the structure’s navigation lights

Here is a picture of the Delta Mariner going under the Eggner's Ferry Bridge on a previous occasion.


The Delta Mariner does appear to have been carrying rocket components.

www.wkdzradio.com...

Designed to navigate shallow inland waterways as well as the open ocean, this versatile transport vessel hauls rocket components approximately 550 miles from the Boeing factory in Decatur, Alabama down the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway to Mobile Bay and into the Gulf of Mexico.

The ship either rounds the Florida peninsula en route to Cape Canaveral or transits the Panama Canal en route to the western range Delta IV launch facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

This is a picture of Delta IV rockets being loaded onto the Delta Mariner

Any idea how this happened? I know boats don't handle like a car but still, how did they not spot the stationary object? Even if the bridge lights weren't working, the ship should have had lights to allow it to travel at night. Very strange story.

reply to post by Flavian

Originally posted by Flavian
Any idea how this happened? I know boats don't handle like a car but still, how did they not spot the stationary object?

Even if the bridge lights weren't working, the ship should have had lights to allow it to travel at night. Very strange story.

From what I'm hearing and what I know about the bridge, there are two sections of the bridge for water traffic. One is for recreational traffic, and the other for commercial traffic (barges and ships). I think the Delta Mariner may have confused which section to take, and the lights being out could have been an issue. However, these things are clearly marked on charts, and a ship of this nature would have radar, gps, and every type of chart available. These mistakes should not be made.

I'm still trying to confirm whether the Delta Mariner was carrying Delta IV rockets, or another type of cargo.

reply to post by isyeye


Thanks for getting back to me. Im wondering if the pilot was drunk!? It is usually the case when something like this happens!

The rocket parts bit may or not be significant. It is entirely possible that is the bit WE (collective ATS) pick up on most because that is how our brains are wired!

reply to post by isyeye


Bridge built in 1932, and from the looks of the pic with the ship going under the bridge in daylight, it barely fit anyway. An old, small, two lane bridge, with malfunctioning lights is the only way across for dozens of miles?

This is why Obama was elected on the promises of public works and infrastructure upgrades..... too bad those didn't go anywhere.

The country is in desperate need of major infrastructure upgrades, the last time we had it was around 1932, when this bridge was built! 80 years ago!! Technology has changed so much in 80 years, we need to put the country to work overhauling all this old stuff! 10% unemployed, high taxes and bailouts, why not put them to work fixing things?

reply to post by Flavian

Originally posted by Flavian
reply to post by isyeye

 

Thanks for getting back to me. Im wondering if the pilot was drunk!?

It is usually the case when something like this happens!

The rocket parts bit may or not be significant. It is entirely possible that is the bit WE (collective ATS) pick up on most because that is how our brains are wired!

One thing I am noticing is that MSM isn't reporting what the Delta Mariner is, and what it's usual cargo is. It's not mentioned here:

www.cbsnews.com...

These things do happen occasionally, and traveling under this bridge with the vessel involved does not leave much room for error, but I've been working around boats my whole life, and a vessel of this nature does not make mistakes like this unless someone wasn't doing their job.

reply to post by getreadyalready


Ha, 80 years ago? Lucky buggers..........over here in blighty we have to go back to the Victorians for most of our great engineering works......

Sorry for going off topic there BTW, don't want to derail the thread.

reply to post by getreadyalready


The bridge was scheduled to be rebuilt in a couple years, and was in rough shape. Everyone in the area disliked the bridge because it was so narrow. I know of at least five or six people that have had their mirrors on their cars hit by other cars traveling across the bridge. It was in desperate need of being rebuilt. I guess the positive part of the story is that they will have to move up work on the bridge.

reply to post by isyeye

I was just trying to determine exactly where this bridge is, and why such a large boat is travelling across a lake, and I stumbled across this:

The bridges spanning Kentucky Lake & Lake Barkley have been labeled as "Functionally Obsolete" by transportation officials. The bridges are nearly 80 years of age (built in 1932) and will be over that mark when the new bridges are completed. Continuing budget constraints have put the new bridges in jeopardy but as of now construction will start on Kentucky Lake's new bridge in 2012 and Barkley's is 2011. The bridges will take about two years to complete.

Budget problems are possibly bringing this 20-year project to a standstill? Seems that an accident such as this, may just be what is needed for the project to regain some momentum....


[color=858585]Just sharing a thought. I am in no way claiming that this is what I believe, especially considering that I had never even heard of this bridge before, until about 10 minutes ago.

www.explorekentuckylake.com...
www.explorekentuckylake.com...

reply to post by BrokenCircles


This bridge will definitely be a top priority now. It is rather convenient, but not likely that it was planned...but you never know.

Here's a few new pictures of the bridge and the Delta Mariner. There should be some more coming out soon.






www.wpsdlocal6.com...

KYTC spokesperson Keith Todd tells Local 6 the boat struck Span "E" of the bridge. This span is 322 ft. long.

KYTC will be working with the Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers to determine if river traffic can be established under the main channel span. KYTC Engineers should know later today if the structure is stable enough to allow river traffic to resume.

I also found a old video that shows how old and dangerous this bridge was.



This is an article talking about the Delta Mariner, it's function, the use of the rivers, and the importance to national security.
www.trva-tcwc.org...

Here's the latest pictures.

The Coast Guard is saying that the Delta Mariner wasn't carrying any hazardous materials (rockets), but hasn't stated exactly what the cargo is.

The cargo is likely fine. how else can you transport a 23 ton missile though? Train? Highway? Airplane? River actually does seem safer for some reason, less obstacles.


How ever this was likely "Pilot Error"


Remember when that captain drunkly crashed a barge into a shopping mall? In New Orleans? Yeah it happens

In these new pictures you can see the difference in height on the bridge sections. This accident was poor navigation on the part of the Delta Mariner. If the captain of the vessel had made the trip before, he should know that this bridge had to passed under only one section of the bridge. Of course, the lights not working on the bridge didn't help, but he was obviously in the wrong channel and should have known that by radar.

The Delta Mariner is 300-foot cargo ship that was traveling from New Orleans to Decatur, Ill., according to a Jan. 17 update on marinetraffic.com

This is obviously an error, as there is no waterway that's near close to big enough in Decatur, Ill. unless it can somehow navigate up a creek 30 feet wide.

Originally posted by freedom12

The Delta Mariner is 300-foot cargo ship that was traveling from New Orleans to Decatur, Ill., according to a Jan. 17 update on marinetraffic.com

This is obviously an error, as there is no waterway that's near close to big enough in Decatur, Ill. unless it can somehow navigate up a creek 30 feet wide.

I believe it is an error in the article. It should be Decatur, Alabama where the NASA site is.

reply to post by THE_PROFESSIONAL


Wow I bet the captain s%*# his pants!

Bridge fail.

Some updated information:

www.foxnews.com...

The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the collision. And it's too early to speculate on exactly what caused the wreck until that probe is done, said Sam Sacco, a spokesman for ship owner and operator Foss Marine of Seattle.

Sacco said the boat was not severely damaged, and some of the crew remained on the vessel Friday afternoon to make sure the cargo is safe.

The 312-foot, 8,400-ton Delta Mariner hauls rocket parts for the Delta and Atlas systems to launch stations in Florida and California, according to a statement from United Launch Alliance, which builds the rocket parts in Alabama. The cargo was not damaged in the collision with the bridge, the company said.

The rocket parts are used by the Air Force, NASA and private companies to send satellites into space, said Jessica Frye, a spokeswoman with United Launch Alliance

Transportation Cabinet spokesman Keith Todd told The Paducah Sun he believes most of the navigational lights were functioning on the bridge at the time of the impact.

They still aren't being very clear about what type of rocket parts the Delta Mariner had as cargo, but it doesn't appear to be anything too hazardous or there would be military all over.