Pelican Island Causeway Bridge reopening after Wednesday's barge strike
The bridge is the only way on and off Pelican Island. It had been mostly shut down since Wednesday morning.
GALVESTON, Texas — The Pelican Island Causeway bridge is set to reopen, five days after it was shut down because of a barge strike.
In a post to X Saturday evening, the Galveston County Office of Emergency Management said the bridge will reopen no later than 9 p.m. to pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
According to Galveston County OEM, the maximum weight for a single-axle vehicle on the bridge is 20,000 pounds. The maximum gross vehicle weight is 42,000 pounds and the max weight for a tandem axle vehicle is 30,000 pounds.
Editor's note: Video above is from Thursday, a day after the bridge strike
The bridge has been mostly closed since the barge stuck it Wednesday morning. The bridge is the only way on and off Pelican Island. Video showed a piece of the bridge collapsed on top of the barge.
A spokesperson for the owner of the barge said it was caused by a broken coupling and no one on the boat, bridge or in the water was injured.
Galveston County Judge Mark Henry said the bridge was in bad shape before Wednesday's incident and had a dismal rating from TxDOT.
Unified Command update on Pelican Island Bridge:
Pelican Island Bridge Will Reopen No Later Than 9:00p.m. pic.twitter.com/QXd1GvXKHs
— Galveston County OEM (@galvcountyoem) May 19, 2024
“It’s old,” he said after the barge strike. “It’s 64 years old by our guess and need of replacement. It should’ve been replaced years ago but it hasn’t been yet.”
The barge strike led to vacuum gas oil leaking into the intercoastal waterway.
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Oil spill cleanup efforts
State officials also showed up to help. They said they were working to get the oil spill cleaned up as safely and effectively as possible. Boats are monitoring the impact on wildlife and citizens.
They identified sites along the coast where they preemptively boomed and as of Thursday afternoon, they had no reports of wildlife being impacted. They said if anyone sees wildlife being impacted by the oil spill, they shouldn't try to do anything themselves. Instead, you should call their reporting line at 832-514-9663 if you see an animal in need of care.
There's also a marine mammal survey team out looking for dolphins that may have been spotted in the area.
Officials said the weather was not a factor in the crash itself, but could become an issue as storms were expected to roll in on Thursday night. They said they took action to secure the barge in case of a severe weather event.