Cargo ship smashes into Ky. bridge

AURORA, Ky. - Kentucky's governor on Friday promised speedy
work to begin replacing a bridge that partially collapsed when
it was struck by a cargo ship hauling parts for a space rocket.

Two spans (about 20 feet) of the Eggner Ferry Bridge at US 68
and Kentucky 80 were destroyed Thursday night by the Delta
Mariner, which was too tall to pass beneath the structure. No
injuries were reported on the bridge or in the boat, which was
carrying rocket components from Decatur, Ala., to Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

The ship was traveling on the Tennessee River on its typical
route to Florida's Atlantic coast when it hit the aging steel
bridge, which was built in the 1930s and handles about 2,800
vehicles a day.

Ship crash brings
down part of Ky. bridge^[1]

Inspections by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet have said
that besides the sections that are missing, there is some
damage on other spans andto the superstructure of the bridge,
according to CBS affiliate WLKY
in Louisville, Ky.^[2]

The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the collision. And it's
too early to speculate on exactly what caused the wreck until
that probe is done, said Sam Sacco, a spokesman for ship owner
and operator Foss Marine.

Sacco said the boat was not severely damaged, and some of the
crew remained on the ship Friday afternoon to make sure the
cargo is safe.

Gov. Steve Beshear on Friday said an immediate review of
options to restore the bridge would take place.

"We'll turn our attention to a full inspection of the bridge
and determine what steps we can take next to speed up the
replacement of that important artery," Beshear said.

The 312-foot Delta Mariner hauls rocket parts for the Delta and
Atlas systems to launch stations in Florida and California,
according to a statement from United Launch Alliance, which
builds the rocket parts in Alabama. The cargo was not damaged
in the collision with the bridge, the company said.

The rocket parts are used by the Air Force, NASA and private
companies to send satellites into space, said Jessica Frye, a
spokeswoman with United Launch Alliance.

Sacco said the ship's typical route to Florida takes it along
the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers, then onto the Mississippi River
to the Gulf of Mexico and on to Florida's east coast.

According to CBS Radio, four vehicles were on the bridge at the
time of the collision.

Robert Parker was on the bridge Thursday night and said he had
to slam on his brakes when he saw a section missing ahead of
him. He says two cars behind him did the same, one almost
hitting his bumper.

"All of a sudden I see the road's gone and I hit the brakes,"
said Parker, who lives in Cadiz. "It got close."

Parker said he stopped his pickup within five feet of the
missing section. He said he didn't feel the vessel strike the
bridge but "felt the bridge was kind of weak."

Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson and Transportation Cabinet Secretary
Mike Hancock were visiting the crash area Friday, officials
said.

Transportation Cabinet spokesman Keith Todd told The Paducah
Sun he believes most of the navigational lights were
functioning on the bridge at the time of the impact. However,
WLKY reported that a Coast Guard inspection revealed a few
lights were out on Tuesday, and were only set to be replaced on
Friday.

The bridge opened in 1932, connecting Trigg County and Marshall
County at the western entrance to Land Between the Lakes
National Recreation Area. According to CBS affiliate WKYT
in Lexington, Kentucky^[3], about
3,000 commuters use the bridge every day.

The transportation cabinet said the bridge was in the process
of being replaced, and preconstruction work began months ago.

References

1. ^{^} Ship crash brings down part of
   Ky. bridge (www.cbsnews.com)
2. ^{^} CBS affiliate WLKY in Louisville,
   Ky. (www.wlky.com)
3. ^{^} CBS affiliate WKYT in Lexington,
   Kentucky (www.wkyt.com)