S’pore-registered ship ‘came into contact’ with bridge in US, says MPA; no injuries reported

SINGAPORE – A Singapore-registered ship “came into contact” with a bridge in the US state of New Jersey on the morning of Nov 13, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said.

There were no reported injuries to civilians and crew members on board the bulk carrier Strategic Alliance, the authority added in statement the same day.

The incident happened at about 2.15am on Nov 13 (Singapore time), and involved the 1.1km-long Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, which sits over the Delaware River.

The bridge was unable to close due to the incident, causing disruption to traffic between Philadelphia and New Jersey, Philadelphia State Representative Ed Neilson said in a Facebook post at about 3.40am Singapore time on Nov 13.

According to the Associated Press, the steel bridge has three lanes for vehicular traffic – two into Philadelphia and one into New Jersey.

AP also reported that estimates from 2025 show that the bridge can carry as many as 72,600 vehicles a day.

In its statement, MPA said that it understands that the bridge has since been reopened to vehicular traffic.

MPA said that the vessel – currently safely moored at Kinder Morgan terminal in Pennsylvania – did not sustain major damage. It added that no marine pollution has been reported.

MPA added that it is in contact with the vessel’s management company and the relevant US authorities to establish the circumstances of the incident, and will investigate the incident.

Daniel Lai is a journalist at the ST Now team, covering breaking news and international affairs.