A train derailment shuts down a historic bridge that carries cars and trains in Portland, Oregon
By Andy Rose and Holly Yan, CNN
(CNN) — A historic bridge was shut down Monday morning after a train car derailed and leaned against one of the bridge’s support columns.
Around 6:15 a.m. local time, “approximately five Union Pacific train cars derailed near the east end of the Union Pacific Steel Bridge in Portland, Oregon,” Union Pacific spokesperson Meg Siffring said in a statement to CNN.
“The train cars are empty. Clean up is underway, and the cause of the derailment is under investigation,” the rail company said.
One train car is leaning against a structural support column, Portland Fire and Rescue posted on X. “Bridge has been shut down and is now completely closed to all train, vehicle, pedestrian traffic.”
There were no reported injuries from the wreck and no reported concerns about hazardous materials, the fire department said.
The 111-year-old bridge is famous for its movable, double-decker style. While trains cross the bridge on the lower level, cars pass on the upper level, with additional space for bicycle and pedestrian traffic.
Either the lower deck or both decks of the bridge can be raised, depending on the size of the ship passing through on the Willamette River.
The Steel Bridge will remain closed until it “can be assessed for structural stability,” Portland Fire and Rescue said.
“This will be a protracted incident that will be addressed in coordination with Union Pacific as a plan is developed for mitigation of this derailment.”
Union Pacific engineers were headed to the scene Monday morning to start assessing the structural stability of the bridge, the Portland fire department said.
The derailment happened after 35 train cars derailed in New Mexico on Friday, prompting evacuations that lasted until Sunday.
Six of the derailed train cars in New Mexico were carrying propane, according to BNSF Railway. No injuries were reported, and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.
Monday’s closure of Portland’s Steel Bridge also comes amid heightened scrutiny over bridge stability after a cargo ship plowed into a pillar of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge last month, destroying the major thoroughfare and killing six people.
This story has been updated with additional information.
The-CNN-Wire
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