On March 30, a barge struck the Arkansas River bridge near US-59 and the Robert S. Kerr Lock and Dam, causing it to shut down. The bridge is located south of Sallisaw near the Sequoyah/LeFlore County line in Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma State Patrol closed South U.S. Highway 59 around 1:25 p.m. following the incident and redirected traffic. The bridge spans the Arkansas River at the entrance to the Robert S. Kerr Reservoir. It will remain closed until inspectors can assess the damage.
Fortunately, there were no injuries reported on the highway or the barge. The cause of the collision is not yet known.
This incident occurred as engineers in Maryland worked to remove a section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed into the Patapsco River after a cargo ship collided with one of its main supports.
