Barge sinks after colliding with Fort Madison Bridge

[mahatmakanejeeves]

The bridge wasn't out of service any too long. Before I even knew that a barge had hit a support, I watched the westbound Amtrak Southwest Chief make its station stop at Fort Madison at about its usual time. From 2:00 to 3:00 a.m. this morning, about four freight trains crossed the bridge at their normal speeds. The BNSF owns the bridge.

Fort Madison Toll Bridge

Barge sinks after colliding with Fort Madison Bridge

by Zach Richardson Thu, May 9th 2024 at 9:18 PM
Updated Fri, May 10th 2024 at 1:44 PM


According to the U.S. Coast Guard, a tug with barges collided with the Fort Madison railroad bridge, causing them to detach from the tug and one barge sinking. (KHQA)

FORT MADISON, Ia. (KHQA) — First responders were called to reports of a barge that struck a bridge and sank in Fort Madison, Iowa, the afternoon of May 9.

News of a barge sinking in Fort Madison quickly made its way around town. ... "First thing was my dad called my mom and she said check Facebook," said Derrick Duncan. "It was all over Facebook. All you had to put in was Fort Madison Bridge and it was out there. It was crazy to see."

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, a tug with barges collided with the Fort Madison railroad bridge, causing them to detach from the tug and one barge sinking. ... The Coast Guard says no injuries or pollution was reported following the accident.

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The bridge reopened shortly after 4:30 p.m. after no damage was found on the bridge while crews continued to work on removing the barge from the water. {snip} The Coast Guard says Marine Safety Detachment Quad Cities is investigating the incident.

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