PITTSBURGH, April 14, (AP): More than two dozen river barges broke loose from their moorings and floated down the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, striking one bridge that had already been preemptively closed and damaging a marina, officials said. The boats eventually were pinned to the riverbank or went over a dam downstream, officials said.
Pittsburgh police, fire and emergency medical services responded around 11:25 p.m. Friday to reports of the barges "floating uncontrolled” down the river, Pittsburgh Public Safety said in a statement. The area had been hit by flooding after heavy rains Thursday.
The Sewickley Bridge was struck by a barge a few minutes before 2 p.m. Saturday, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said. It "was closed in advance of the strike and will remain closed until our crews complete an inspection," spokesperson Steve Cowan said.
Officials in Moon Township, which is connected by the bridge to the community of Sewickley, earlier said the span would be temporarily closed "due to unmanned barge passing through.”
Eleven of the 26 barges that broke free were quickly contained to one side by another towing vessel just downstream, said Cmdr Justin Jolley of the Coast Guard marine safety unit in Pittsburgh. Nine others were collected at the Emsworth lock and dam downstream.
Five or six barges went through the dam. Four ended up just downstream at a lock and dam, while another ended up on the bank of the river and was stabilized. Marine safety units were searching for one barge unaccounted for, Jolley said.
Pittsburgh public safety officials reported damage to Peggy’s Harbor, a marina on the river.