Bulker Hits Bridge Near Philadelphia
On Thursday, a foreign-flagged bulker hit a bridge on the Delaware River, forcing a rush-hour closure for inspections.
On Thursday afternoon, the bulker Strategic Alliance was heading upriver past Philadelphia's northeastern suburbs, making about eight knots. At about 1300 hours local time, the vessel made contact with the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge while the drawbridge was in an elevated position. The impact damaged a section of walkway railing and some masonry, according to the local ABC affiliate.
The drawbridge remained in the elevated position after the ship passed, blocking traffic, and the bridge was closed to vehicle traffic for about six hours for inspection. It caused immediate rush-hour traffic jams, but gradually reopened Thursday night and Friday. It remained closed to pedestrian access while workers made railing repairs. There was no significant structural impact, and surface traffic fully resumed by Friday.
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Strategic Alliance is a Singapore-flagged bulk carrier built in 2014. AIS data provided by Pole Star klshows that this was her first transit on the Delaware River in at least 12 months. As of Friday night, the Strategic Alliance was moored alongside at the Kinder Morgan terminal in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, due south of Trenton.
Top image: Peter Miller / CC BY NC ND 2.0
