SS Marine Floridian

S.S. Marine Floridian was an 5,700 ton, 523-foot-long (159 m) ocean-going tanker ship.

Early career

Main article: USNS Paoli (T-AO-157)

The ship was built as the Type T2 tanker SS Paoli at Sun Shipbuilding in Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1944. After service for the War Shipping Administration during World War II, she was acquired by the United States Navy as USNS Paoli (T-AO-157) in 1956 and remained in naval service until she was sold in 1966.

Collision with bridge

On 24 February 1977, in early daylight hours, the ship collided with a drawbridge in Virginia in a spectacular and costly accident.

The Marine Floridian was eastbound, heading downriver from Richmond, under the direction of a James River pilot. As the ship rounded a bend in the channel of the James River at the confluence of the Appomattox River near City Point and began the approach to the Benjamin Harrison Bridge, the steering gear malfunctioned, and with the rudder locked in a turn, the pilot lost control of the ship.

The bridge tender had placed the lift span in the "raised" position in anticipation of the ship's passage, and motorists were sitting in their vehicles behind the warning gates waiting. As the large ship veered off course to the north, the occupants of southbound vehicles waiting on the bridge saw the ship coming directly toward them, and managed to get out of their cars and run to safety before the ship rammed the bridge. [1]

The ship missed the open portion and struck part of the fixed span. Four unoccupied vehicles tumbled into the river, and part of the bridge structure collapsed onto the deck of ship, which was wedged under the wreckage of the bridge. The bridge tender, a state employee, was trapped in the control booth located on the raised lift span near the south end. Despite the massive damage, there were no serious injuries.

Post-collision actions

Representatives of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the United States Coast Guard, and Virginia Governor's Office of Emergency Services responded to the scene. Engineering and bus transportation contractors were summonsed to assist with repairs to the bridge and to provide alternate transportation for displaced motorists.

According to official state records, the damage to the bridge entailed the "destruction of two spans north of the lift span, the north tower, the lift span, and serious damage to the south tower." and "elimination of both highway and river traffic with immediate serious effect upon highway users and industries relying upon supplies by water" [2]

Special arrangements to offset loss of vehicular passage

While river traffic was restored in relatively short order, the loss of the bridge as a highway artery caused substantial hardship to commuters and the communities on both sides of the river beginning immediately after the collision. Prior to completion of the bridge in 1966, an automobile-carrying passenger ferry service had operated, but the docks had rotted and silt had filled in the areas where the large ferries, if restored, would need to dock. Due to a dredging restriction in place because of Kepone contamination, it was not feasible to restore the automobile-carrying ferry service which the bridge had replaced in 1966.

Alternative driving routes were unacceptably lengthy. The only fixed crossing downstream was the James River Bridge, which would require an additional 130 mile drive. The nearest highway bridge upstream was located on Interstate 95 at Richmond, necessitating an additional driving distance of over 50 miles. The existing Jamestown Ferry service about 35 miles downstream between Scotland in Surry County and Glass House Point was already operating at capacity, with delays during peak commuting hours.

State officials called upon local bus and taxi providers for potential solutions. Officials of the Governors Office of Emergency Services selected services of Virginia Overland Transportation (VOTC) of Richmond, one of the state's older urban-suburban bus lines, to implement within 3 business days a shuttle bus and van system to coordinate schedules with a passenger ferry system contracted by VDOT from another company which could utilize the old ferry landings without dredging operations. Service essentially operated from dawn to dusk, with schedules adjusted to suit commuters as much as possible.

Radio-equipped vans and school buses based on each side of the river were coordinated with the passenger ferries. Expanded parking was provided by VDOT at both docks. During this operation, would drive to the ferry dock area on the side of their residence and literally "Park, Ride, and Ride."

The van and bus service on the south shore ran between the docks and various schools and places of employment, including many businesses in Hopewell and notably Fort Lee. In the opposite situation, some workers who lived on the south side parked and rode the ferry, and vans transported them to employment, mostly at Charles City County agencies.

A light-duty car-float was later introduced and operated during favorable weather conditions to supplement the passenger ferry and shuttle van arrangements. However, this affair was considered somewhat unstable by some commuters, and the Park, Ride, and Ride operation continued for 20 months until the bridge was reopened.

Bridge repairs

The reconstruction of the damaged bridge was to cost millions of dollars and take 20 months to complete. One design change incorporated was relocation of the bridge tender's station to a fixed portion of the structure which did not go up and down with the lift span.

NTSB Report

The NTSB issued a report, MAR-78-01, which was adopted on 1 January 1978. The investigation made recommendations for future prevention. The State of Virginia filed suit in U.S. District Court against the shipping company operating the Marine Floridian, which was found to be liable for the damages, a decision affirmed by the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The rebuilt Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge was reopened to traffic in the fall of 1978. The total cost of damages from the accident was $9.7 million. [3]