Statement on barges/676 Bridge

On the afternoon of August 4th, high flows along the Schuylkill River dislodged the Crane Barge LEHIGH and two associated hopper barges from their moorings. The barges, which were secured between the Spring Garden Bridge and the Vine Street Expressway/676 Bridge, were pushed up against the Vine Street Expressway/676 Bridge. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) closed the bridge to traffic in both directions. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its contractor Atlantic Subsea, Inc. assessed the situation and worked on a plan to resolve the matter in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and the City of Philadelphia. When water levels subsided on Aug. 6, multiple tugboats were used to move the barges upriver just south of the Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge. The operation was successfully completed around noon on Aug. 6. PennDOT then reopened the bridge to vehicle traffic in the afternoon. The barges were being used as part of a project to dredge portions of the Schuylkill River above the Fairmount Dam.