A 591-foot cargo ship struck the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge across the Delaware River on Thursday, temporarily disrupting vehicle traffic between Philadelphia and southern New Jersey.
The Singapore-flagged Strategic Alliance struck the bridge at approximately 13:15 while the drawbridge was open to accomadate the ship, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. No injuries were reported.
The collision initially prevented the bridge from closing, causing significant traffic backups on the Philadelphia side, a Pennsylvania state representative said in a statement.
The bridge subsequently closed to allow vehicle traffic to resume, although one lane remained closed Thursday evening, according to the Burlington County Bridge Commission Police Department.
Following the incident, Strategic Alliance was moored at a Kinder Morgan facility in Bristol, Pa., where a Coast Guard inspection team was dispatched to assess the vessel.
Built in 2013, the 591-foot Strategic Alliance sails under the Singapore flag.
The 3,659-foot Tacony-Palmyra Bridge carries Route 73 across the Delaware River, connecting Palmyra, N.J., with the Tacony neighborhood of northeast Philadelphia. Opened in 1929, the steel bridge has three lanes for vehicle traffic and a movable span to accommodate passing vessels.
The extent of damage to the vessel and bridge was not immediately clear.
