The Pittsburgh Office of Public Safety said 26 barges broke loose and were floating uncontrolled on the Ohio River Friday evening. Most of the barges were loaded with dry goods, such as coal, and three of them were empty. No injuries were reported, but Peggy’s Harbor Marina in the northern part of the city suffered “significant damage,” officials said. Another marina just downstream from Peggy’s, Branchport Boat Club, lost nearly 90 boat slips, according to our partners at the Trib. because of the runaway barges. Friday evening, 11 barges were stuck against the river bank, near Brunot Island. Fourteen more continued on the river, including six crossing Emsworth Dam. Images posted online show several barges resting alongside the dam. Officials with Campbell Transportation, which owns the barges, said the company is investigating how the barges broke free. “The incident occurred during flood conditions on the rivers, which resulted in strong currents. due to flooding in the area,” Gary Statler, senior vice president of river operations for Campbell Transportation, said in a statement. He added that the company’s “immediate priority is to ensure public safety and minimize any potential impact on the environment.” Statler said Campbell Transportation is actively working with the Coast Guard, state police, PennDOT and local agencies to assess the situation. Discussing the damage caused by the barges, Tony Ravida, director of the Branchport Boat Club, told the Trib: “It’s like losing a family member. Now we will not be able to open our doors this year. » The West End and McKees Rocks bridges had closed overnight but reopened shortly after midnight. This incident follows storms on Thursday and Friday that saw floodwaters return to the Pittsburgh area. Combined with last week’s heavy rains, it’s the wettest start to spring on record in Pittsburgh, according to the National Weather Service. This is not the first time barges have flown down Pittsburgh’s rivers in an uncontrolled manner, although the bridge’s potential safety risks have come under increased scrutiny following the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge from Baltimore last month.
The Pittsburgh Office of Public Safety said 26 barges broke loose and were floating uncontrolled on the Ohio River Friday evening.
Most of the barges were loaded with dry goods, such as coal, and three of them were empty. No injuries were reported, but the Peggy’s Harbor Marina in the northern part of the city suffered “significant damage,” officials said.
Another marina just downstream from Peggy’s, Branchport Boat Club, lost nearly 90 boat slips to packed barges, according to our partners at the Trib.
Friday evening, 11 barges were stuck against the river bank, near Brunot Island. Fourteen more continued on the river, including six crossing Emsworth Dam. Images posted online show several barges resting alongside the dam.
Officials with Campbell Transportation, which owns the barges, said the company is investigating how the barges broke free.
“The incident occurred during high water conditions on the rivers, resulting in strong flooding currents in the area,” Gary Statler, senior vice president of river operations for Campbell Transportation, said in a statement. . He added that the company’s “immediate priority is to ensure public safety and minimize any potential impact on the environment.”
Statler said Campbell Transportation is actively working with the Coast Guard, state police, PennDOT and local agencies to assess the situation.
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Discussing the damage caused by the barges, Tony Ravida, director of the Branchport Boat Club, told the Trib: “It’s like losing a family member. Now we will not be able to open our doors this year.
The West End and McKees Rocks bridges had closed overnight but reopened shortly after midnight.
This content is imported from Facebook. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their website.
This incident follows storms on Thursday and Friday that saw floodwaters return to the Pittsburgh area. Combined with last week’s heavy rains, it’s the wettest start to spring on record in Pittsburgh, according to the National Weather Service.
This is not the first time barges have flown down Pittsburgh’s rivers in an uncontrolled manner, although the bridge’s potential safety risks have come under increased scrutiny following the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge from Baltimore last month.
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