Barge strikes bridge in Oklahoma, raises concerns over US infrastructure safety

A few days after a container ship collided with a pillar of a bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, a similar incident unfolded in Oklahoma. A large barge struck a pillar of the bridge that is part of the Interstate Highway 59, promptly leading to the closure of the bridge to traffic.

On Saturday around 6 pm Greenwich Time, a large barge navigating the Arkansas River veered off course and collided with a bridge support. Remarkably, the structure of the bridge, which links the north and south of the USA via Interstate Highway 59, endured the impact.

The cause of the accident remains uncertain. Thankfully, the incident did not result in any injuries; only the barge sustained damage. Nevertheless, authorities opted to shut down the crossing.

The police immediately sealed off this section of the highway, diverting traffic to alternative routes.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol announced that the bridge would stay closed until an inspection could be performed by engineers from the Department of Transport. They were tasked with determining whether the structure of the crossing had been compromised, potentially endangering bridge users.

After several hours of inspection, the bridge was reopened to traffic. It was found that the bridge had not been damaged in the collision with the barge.

The incident in Baltimore prompted the American media to investigate the condition of the more than 600,000 bridges in the USA. It was discovered that highway bridges undergo inspections at least once every two years, being classified as "good", "fair", or "poor". A bridge identified as in "poor" condition has certain structural elements in an "advanced state of destruction".

According to a report released in 2021 by the American Society of Civil Engineers, approximately 46,000 out of the 617,000 bridges throughout the United States, or 7.5% of all bridges, are deemed structurally deficient and in poor condition.

About 21,000 bridges are at risk from foundational threats during extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, or severe temperatures.

Some 17,000 bridges could face collapse, similar to the one in Baltimore, as a result of a single powerful impact.

Source: newson6.com, cnn.com