Tampa Bay channel open after grounding
A 378-foot bulk ship ran aground near the Tampa Bay ship channel Wednesday, prompting the U.S. Coast Guard to stop vessel traffic in the channel for several hours, and the Florida Highway Patrol to close the Sunshine Skyway Bridge for about 90 minutes just before the morning rush hour hit full swing.
The Panamanian-flagged 'Antilles II,' which was carrying 10,000 metric tons of phosphate, 78 metric tons of fuel and 20 liters of lube oil, ran aground about 400 yards east of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge at about 5 a.m. Wednesday, the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard established a 100-yard safety zone around the vessel and restricted vessel traffic in the main shipping channel of Tampa Bay until the 'Antilles II' was moored at Port Manatee about noon.
The highway patrol closed the bridge as a precaution until 7:10 a.m. A highway patrol spokesman said authorities wanted to be certain the vessel would not drift into the bridge.
The Coast Guard said there were no injuries or pollution from Wednesday's incident. Coast Guard marine inspectors and investigators are investigating the incident to determine the causes of the grounding.
Officials noted that the most severe marine accident in the Tampa Bay area occurred in 1980, when a freighter carrying phosphate lost control in heavy seas and drifted into a support column of the original Skyway Bridge. A report in the Tampa Tribune recalled how that led to a disastrous series of events, with a 1,200-foot section of the bridge collapsing into the bay. A tourist bus and seven cars went into the water, and 35 people were killed.
Tampa Bay channel open after grounding
