Barge-borne crane strikes Juneau’s bridge to Douglas Island

JUNEAU — A crane being carried on a barge in Gastineau Channel struck the 1,286-foot Douglas Bridge in Juneau on Wednesday.

A video recorded by Juneau resident Dan Lesh and shared widely on social media Wednesday night shows the crane hitting the bridge with the tip of its boom, which then grinds across the bridge’s bottom.

The Douglas Bridge, at 1,286 feet long according to the Alaska Department of Transportation’s bridge directory, spans Gastineau Channel and connects Douglas Island, a predominantly residential area, with downtown Juneau.

Nicholas Meyer, command duty officer for Coast Guard Sector Juneau, said the Juneau Police Department notified DOT about the collision, and DOT inspectors found only surface damage when they responded.

“Limited access and diminishing daylight kept them from completing a full inspection, but they were able to determine that the damage was not severe and that a closure was unnecessary,” said Sam Dapcevich, a spokesman for the department, on Thursday morning.

On Thursday afternoon, Dapcevich said by email that a full inspection that day found “some impact damage” to the bridge’s exterior but no cracks or additional damage to the interior.

“Grout work will be needed to repair the damaged areas — the repairs are necessary to protect the concrete structure from the elements,” he said.

The barge’s owner and operator could not be immediately confirmed, but Meyer said they will be required to file a report with the Coast Guard, whose investigators will pursue the matter.

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