An ‘out of control’ cargo ship forces the temporary closure of Charleston bridge. Officials are trying to see what went wrong

CNN — A major bridge in Charleston, South Carolina, was temporarily closed Wednesday afternoon after a crew lost control of a large container ship after it left port.

The US Coast Guard was alerted to an “out of control vessel” in the Cooper River around 12:17 p.m. Wednesday, Coast Guard Sector Charleston Deputy Commander Randy Preston said Wednesday. Authorities rushed to clear boaters from the vessel’s path and shut down the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge before the ship passed underneath.

“The Ravenel Bridge is shut down in all directions due to a vessel reportedly losing propulsion,” the Charleston Police Department posted on X.

The incident came just over two months after the 213-million-pound Dali cargo vessel lost power and crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, destroying the 1.6-mile span and killing six construction workers. The disaster spurred increased scrutiny of bridges across the country that could be at risk of collapse as infrastructure ages and cargo ships continue to grow in size.