GALVESTON, Texas _ The Pelican Island Bridge to Galveston is closed after it was hit by a vessel Wednesday morning, causing damage and an oil spill.
"The Pelican Island Bridge in Galveston is closed to all vehicular traffic after a barge collision on Wednesday morning at approximately 10 a.m. There were no reported injuries. Pelican Island is inaccessible to car traffic," a post by the City of Galveston states. "Emergency management officials from the City of Galveston, Texas A&M University at Galveston, and the state – as well as Galveston fire and police departments, U.S. Coast Guard and Texas Department of Transportation – are responding to the incident."
The collision has resulted in an oil spill in the bay, and the U.S. Coast Guard is responding and will determine the extent of the spill, as well as initiate the containment and cleanup processes, the city's post states.
Engineers from the Texas Department of Transportation are also enroute to inspect the roadway and determine if there is damage. The bridge will remain closed until it is deemed safe to use, the city's post states.
From video posted by news outlets and on social media, it appears a barge collided with the railroad part of the bridge, causing it to collapse into the bay. The oil spill also can be seen stretching away from the bridge.
More information is expected later this afternoon.
Here's the city's noon post:
To see coverage from ABC13 in Houston, click here.
