Tanker Hits Bridge, Leaks Oil Into Harbor

An oil tanker struck the Million Dollar Bridge Friday, and an undetermined amount of oil spilled into the harbor.

The accident occurred as the draw of the bridge was open to allow the tanker Julie N. to pass through. It forced the closure of the quarter-mile bridge between Portland and South Portland. The bridge was expected to remain closed at least overnight while engineers examined it for damage.

The tanker was carrying No. 2 heating oil to the Sprague Energy terminal, said Lt. Mark Gandolfo of the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office.

Oil leaked from a 6-foot gash in the tanker’s hull at the rate of 500 to 1,000 gallons per minute immediately following the crash, the Coast Guard said. Within 15 minutes, the leak had slowed to an undetermined rate, the Coast Guard said.

No injuries were reported.

The Million Dollar Bridge got its name because that’s what it cost to build it about 80 years ago. It is being replaced with a span that will cost more than $150 million.