With all the rain water being released from the dams into the Arkansas River in NE Oklahoma, 2 heavy barges have broken loose and were floating down the river toward the I-40 bridge. The highway patrol has closed that bridge, as well as the nearby local in-town bridge, due to the danger that the barges could strike and collapse a bridge section. I have no word on where or how lengthy the detour might be at this time. Travelers might want to select an alternate route.
Some folks may recall that a misguided barge took out part of the I-40 bridge several years ago, causing some vehicles to plunge off the bridge and fall 80 feet. The barges have been located this morning, stuck on some outcropping, but there's no guarantee they will stay stuck in the swollen raging river. So I'm glad they are being proactive.
Mike G.
Liberty is meaningless where the right to utter one's thoughts and opinions has ceased to exist. That, of all rights, is the dread of tyrants. --Frederick Douglass
photo: Yosemite Valley view from Taft Point
