Barge strikes bridge in Oklahoma, shutting down highway

A barge in Oklahoma struck a bridge over the the Arkansas River on Saturday, forcing the police to close the highway down. AP

The Oklahoma State Patrol said Saturday that it closed a highway south of Sallisaw after a barge struck a bridge over the Arkansas River.

Troopers closed South US Highway 59 about 1:25 p.m. after receiving word of the incident and diverted traffic from the area, state patrol spokesperson Sarah Stewart said.

The bridge, which crosses the Arkansas River where it enters the Robert S. Kerr Reservoir, will remain closed until it can be inspected, she said.

There were no reports of injuries on the highway or the barge, Stewart said.

The bridge, which crosses the Arkansas River where it enters the Robert S. Kerr Reservoir, will remain closed until it can be inspected. AP

There were no reports of injuries on the highway or the barge. AP

It was not immediately known what caused the barge to hit the bridge.

The news came as engineers worked Saturday to lift a section of twisted steel from the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland after it crumpled into the Patapsco River as a massive cargo ship crashed into one of its main supports.