Panama Canal railway bridge destroyed by bulk carrier

A Cyprus-flagged bulk carrier sailed into, and severely damaged, a railway bridge while transiting the Panama Canal on 23 June. Although traffic on the canal wasn’t affected, its estimated that repairs to the railway bridge will take at least 16 days, according to Safety at Sea.

The railway bridge crosses the Chagres River in Gamboa, Panama. It is part of the Panama Canal Railway which parallels the Panama Canal providing freight and passenger service linking the Atlantic with the Pacific Ocean.

The ship involved is the MV Bluebill, a 37,000 dwt bulk carrier built in 2004. AIS data shows she was transiting the Canal in a northbound direction, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, after sailing from Korea. It sustained limited damages.

A source told gCaptain that the Bluebill’s rudder had become stuck to starboard and the vessel was making over 7 knots while loaded with steel products (though other reports suggest it was carrying grain). “There was little that could be done,” the source said.

In a statement, the Panama Canal Authority said it would investigate the causes behind the accident, as well as the damage sustained by the bridge. It was noted by the local press, TVN, that access to and from the Gamboa community was not affected as the damaged bridge was a historical one, constructed in 1908, and not the new one, constructed in 2018.