"Ship strike closes N.H.-Maine bridge
The US Coast Guard says two tugboats have pulled an oil tanker away from the bridge that links Maine to New Hampshire after the tanker broke loose from the pier and hit the bridge. Lieutenant Nick Barrow said that the tanker was damaged on the side that hit the bridge, but that there was no evidence of leaking.
Uh-huh.
Barrow says the 473-foot Harbour Feature was reported to have had a mechanical failure at 1:30 p.m. Monday and crashed into the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, which crosses the Piscataqua River between Portsmouth, N.H., and Kittery, Maine. Officials said that the ship hit the drawbridge while it was in the down position and that the bridge will be closed to traffic until it is inspected. Barrow said tanker was pulled from the bridge around 6 p.m. and the bridge was put in the up position."
For how long?
"N.H.-Maine bridge to remain closed 2 to 4 weeks" Associated Press, April 03, 2013
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — The oil tanker broke loose from a pier Monday....
The ship was registered in Portugal, is owned by the Zacchello Group from Italy, and is managed by Nordic Tankers of Denmark.
WTF?
The tanker was transporting tallow oil, an animal product that carries less of an environmental risk than a petroleum product in the event of a spill. The Coast Guard said the tanker was moored and somehow became unattached from the peer.
I was told no leaks, but....
The bridge is one of three connecting Portsmouth to Kittery. The Memorial Bridge downriver closed to vehicle traffic in 2011 to allow for a replacement bridge to be built.
The closure of the bridge left just the high-level Interstate 95 bridge open....
--more--"
Related: Bridging the Gap Between Maine and New Hampshire
Maine Might See Oil Spill
Wow, that's weird.
Also see: Casper's Hometown
It is a shame, isn't it?
UPDATE:
"N.H.-Maine bridge on track for summer traffic" Associated Press, February 20, 2013
The new Memorial Bridge connecting New Hampshire to Maine is still scheduled to open this summer. Contractor Archer Western has put in the new south span and a concrete deck and started erecting the south tower. Steel tower pieces made by Structural Bridge in Claremont are being erected using a barge-mounted crane near the south span and will take about a month to complete. Plans are for the north span to be completed in March and floated into place at low tide, as the south span was."
