Oil Barge Hits Richmond Bridge

A 300-ft oil barge carrying more than 2.6 million gallons of heavy black oil struck the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge last night around 6 p.m. Miraculously, not a drop of oil was spilled. The double-hulled barge was being maneuvered south through the tallest span of the bridge by two tugs in dense fog when it smashed into the western tower, damaging the fendering system but not the structure itself. The barge sustained serious damage and its cargo will be offloaded today. The Coast Guard will investigate how the accident happened — alcohol tests on the crew came back negative.