Glasgow bridge reopened after barges hit adjacent rail span

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A bridge in Glasgow reopened Tuesday after being shut down for inspection.

According to a Monday night Facebook post from Howard County Joint Communications, the Missouri Department of Transportation closed the Missouri River bridge on Highway 240 to investigate possible damage to the bridge caused by two loose barges hitting a pillar on an adjacent railroad bridge.

The bridge reopened Tuesday morning after an inspection that cleared it to carry traffic, MoDOT spokeswoman Marcia Johnson said.

Glasglow Chief of Police TJ Livermore said that he was dispatched around 8:15 p.m. last night and was able to see two barge directly hit one of the pillars of the railroad bridge.

"It struck the bridge, turned the barges counter clockwise, and then continued going south down the river." He said.

MODOT around 10:50 then decided to close the car bridge next to it due to concerns that it was struck as well.

He said that the two barges were empty and did not have a tough boat attached.

"There was not any damage as far as I understand" He said.

The bridge was then reopened Tuesday morning around 11:00 a.m.

The United States Coast Guard Upper Mississippi Command Center says they were made aware of the barge strike. The command center says that the company that owned the barges sent tough boats out to get them once they were made aware.

ABC 17 was not able to confirm what company the barges belonged to but Cheif Livermore said that believes the barges could have floated from as far as Miami.

He also said that with the the fast flowing Missouri river from rainfall over the past few days could have played a role in thev barges getting loose and floating downstream.