Traffic diverted after barge hits Amesbury bridge

By Casey Ramsdell, Globe Correspondent

The Coast Guard is investigating what caused a 250-foot barge to hit a bridge in the Merrimack River today.

The barge William Breckenridge hit the Derek Hines Memorial Bridge, also known as the Amesbury swing bridge, shortly before noon while traveling through the channel north of Deer Island, the Coast Guard said in a statement. The bridge connects Amesbury and Deer Island. A second bridge, the Chain Bridge, connects Deer Island and Newburyport.

No injuries or pollution releases were reported, said Coast Guard officials.

“We take these reports seriously and investigate them quickly,” Lieutenant Kate Higgins, duty officer in Boston, said in a statement.

The Massachusetts Highway Department is inspecting the bridge, which is in the open position and closed to cars and trucks.

Marine traffic is being redirected south to pass under the Chain Bridge.

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