Canadian laker Voyageur Independent hit a bridge

[eastsailor]

Yesterday, the laker hit a bridge on the seaway, near Valleyfield. Extensive damages on the bridge and on the ship bow. No injuries. Ship was westbound and was outside the channel. So far it seems to had steering problems.

Regards to the shipspotting community

Eastsailor

[Chris Mazzella]

Update -  The Voyageur Independent struck the St Louis de Gonzaque bridge at around noon Tuesday.

The vessel lost steering just before going through the narrow channel leading under the raised bridge. The vessel took a sheer to the right brushed an abutment. These are round, steel caissons which could to be filled with boulders and or cement and are designed to protect the bridge support piers.

Independent was traveling at 4.8 knots when she hit the bridge. The bridge suffered a fair amount of damage and had to be closed to vehicular traffic.

The St Louis bridge is the least used vehicle traffic bridge in that area but the people using it will now have a 6 mile detour in order to reach the other side. Ships will still be able to get by with little or no problems at all.

Voyageur Independent, after hitting the bridge, went to anchor. Sometime later, she went through the channel and the raised bridge and went to anchor above St Lois bridge on the right side on the channel in the St Louis emergency anchorage area. She is still there Thursday morning.

Boatnerd.com

[Magogman]

I passed through the area on the afternoon of Tuesday-- purely by coincidence -- wanted to get photos of an upbound ship I saw in the locks.  

Lots of officials inspecting the damage, especially the phone company.  Utility lines ran in pipes on the side of the bridge that was hit and they were hanging down in the water.  It looked like the bow of the ship gouged out 2-4 feet of concrete on the edge of the bridge -- could not tell if there was any damage to the concrete highway or the steel girders underneath.  The lift mechanism was not damaged since that is what the ship was aiming for and missed!  The lift was open and ships were passing through it.  The Voyager Independent was still anchored just upstream of the bridge.

I was not sure what had happened and am travelling so have been without internet access until this evening.  Thanks for the posting.  There is news of this also posted on boatnerd.com.