Barge strikes Oklahoma bridge over Arkansas River days after Francis Scott Key Bridge was struck

The Oklahoma State Patrol said Saturday it closed a highway south of Sallisaw after a barge struck a bridge over the Arkansas River.

Officers closed South U.S. Highway 59 around 1:25 p.m. after receiving reports of the incident and diverted traffic from the area, State Patrol spokeswoman Sarah Stewart said.

The bridge, which crosses the Arkansas River where it enters the Robert S. Kerr Reservoir, will remain closed until it can be inspected, she said.

No injuries were reported on the highway or on the barge, Stewart said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the barge to hit the bridge.

The news came as engineers worked Saturday to lift a section of twisted steel from the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland after it collapsed into the Patapsco River when a massive cargo ship crashed into it. one of its main supports.