Cargo boat hits Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, causing major traffic delays
Cargo boat hits Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, causing major traffic delays
A large cargo ship hit the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge between Philadelphia and New Jersey sometime before 3 p.m. The bridge is unable to close, causing major traffic delays on the Philadelphia side.
PHILADELPHIA - A large cargo boat crashed into the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge on Thursday, causing massive delays on a day already marred by severe weather and flooding.
What we know:
Officials reported the collision sometime before 3 p.m. Thursday.
State Rep. Ed Neilson shared an alert on social media, warning travelers of the collision and its effects on traffic.
Neilson said that after the crash, officials weren't able to close the bridge, causing major delays.
"Motorists planning to travel into New Jersey are strongly encouraged to seek an alternate route and consider using another bridge," Neilson said. "…With the bridge out of service, expect significantly havier-than-usual traffic at other Delaware River crossings."
What we don't know:
According to Neilson, no injuries have been reported.
It's not yet clear what caused the crash.
The backstory:
The three-lane Tacony-Palmyra Bridge carries as many as 76,200 vehicles a day, according to 2025 estimates.
What's next:
The Burlington County Bridge Commission maintains the bridge. A recorded message said the bridge will remain closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic until further notice.
Later Thursday, Neilson said that the bridge should return to full operation "sometime through [the] overnight hours."
The Source: Information in this story is from a Facebook post by Pennsylvania Rep. Ed Neilson on the collision, and statistics on bridge traffic a message from the Burlington County Bridge Commission via the Associated Press.