A barge’s allision with an Arkansas River Bridge has prompted the immediate closure of a major highway in Oklahoma. The state patrol disclosed that an area south of Sallisaw had been rendered impassable, impacting South U.S. Highway 59. The incident, which occurred around 1:25 p.m. on Saturday, led to enforced traffic diversions.
The bridge, a key structure over the Arkansas River at the point of entry into the Robert S. Kerr Reservoir, will remain shut for an undetermined period pending further inspections. The cause of the allision has yet to be determined.
Engineers were recently seen removing a segment of distorted steel from the wrecked Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland. The bridge collapsed after a massive cargo ship allided with one of its primary supports, causing the bridge to buckle and tumble into the Patapsco River.
