The US Coast Guard has warned ship operators that it will likely pursue civil penalties against any vessel owner, master, or person-in-charge who provides inaccurate vessel information that contributes to a collision with the Bayonne Bridge in New York harbour. The warning comes after the bridge was struck twice over the past several months by ships with excessive air draughts.
The most recent collision demasted a ship’s INMARSAT C and Ship Safety Alert System antennas. The Coast Guard is worried that further strikes could cause injury or loss of life to construction crews that are now working to raise the 83-year-old structure and thus allow the passage of larger and taller ships. JS
