Vessel strikes Port of L.A. bridge; no damage reported

Vessel strikes Port of L.A. bridge; no damage reported A breakbulk vessel transiting through the Port of Los Angeles late Sunday afternoon struck the Vincent Thomas Bridge, shutting the bridge to road and vessel traffic for about two hours, the Marine Exchange of Southern California reported.
      The bridge, which spans the port's major channel, was inspected for damage and reopened just after 7 p.m. The vessel, the 'Beautiful Queen,' a Hong Kong-flagged ship bound for Portland, Ore., was taken by the U.S. Coast Guard to an anchorage outside the harbor breakwater pending an investigation.
   'Initial reports indicated that the ship had one of her cranes “winged out” — and it was the crane that apparently struck the bridge,' Marine Exchange Executive Director Manny Aschemeyer said in an email update on the situation.
   Only two vessels were delayed in their transits during the inspection, conducted by California Department of Transportation workers, and all ship and road traffic has returned to normal, the Marine Exchange said.