Safety Issues Voiced Regarding Tappan Zee Bridge Project After Barge Breaks Loose on Hudson

Posted in Barge Accidents,Maritime Accidents,New York Maritime News on September 24, 2013

On Sunday, September 22, a 50-foot-long barge that broke free from its mooring and drifted for nearly a mile, has become the latest example of the growing danger on the Hudson River during the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project.

Photo shows Tappan Zee Bridge across the Hudson River.

Dean Taucher, a Piedmont witness, told the media that he was on the porch of his home around 6:20 p.m. Sunday, looking at the river through his binoculars and debating whether to take his sailing dory out when he noticed the barge. According to The Journal, Taucher thought it had been relocated to a new location — but he quickly realized it was moving. He immediately contacted Piermont police about the incident.

Police say they don’t believe the barge was deliberately untethered, and mentioned that Sunday’s high winds and choppy waters could have caused it to come loose.

Sunday’s runaway barge is the first piece of equipment to break away from the construction site. There are some four dozen vessels currently in the river — from barge-mounted cranes to dredge scows to crew boats — preparing to build the new 3-mile crossing.

Blog post by OffshoreInjuries.com