The incident occurred when a tugboat lost control of two barges it was pushing, causing one of them to collide with the bridge pillar. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries, and the individual who fell off the barge was quickly rescued.

The collision took place at approximately 9:50 a.m. as the tugboat was backing out of Texas International Terminals near the bridge. The severe current and high tide contributed to the tugboat's loss of control, according to David Flores, a bridge superintendent with the Galveston County Navigation District. The barge struck the bridge and two telephone poles, leading to the spillage of oil into the nearby channel off Galveston Bay.

The barge, owned by Martin Petroleum and with a capacity of 30,000 gallons, caused an oil leak, although the exact amount that leaked into the bay remains unknown. Approximately 6.5 miles (10.5 kilometers) of the waterway have been closed off as crews work to clean up the spill. Galveston County spokesperson Spencer Lewis assured that the closure should not significantly impact water commerce as the area has alternative routes for shipping.

Pelican Island, with its university campus, shipyard, and popular tourist attraction Seawolf Park, now finds itself cut off from Galveston due to the closure of the bridge. Texas A&M University has evacuated non-essential personnel and plans to remain closed until at least Friday. On-campus students have been advised to prepare for an indefinite period away from campus, while those who have remained on site will be accommodated.

The Pelican Island Causeway Bridge, opened in 1960, had already been flagged for replacement due to its "Poor" condition in the Federal Highway Administration's 2023 National Bridge Inventory. The Texas Department of Transportation was scheduled to undertake a $194 million bridge replacement project in the summer of 2025. In recent years, maintenance and repairs costing over $12 million have been carried out, signaling the bridge's deteriorating state.

Government officials are now focused on assessing the extent of the damage caused by the collision and the safety of the bridge before reopening it to vehicular traffic. Engineers from the Texas Department of Transportation are slated to inspect the roadway to determine any structural damage.

As Galveston residents await updates on the bridge's reopening, law enforcement and transportation authorities are urging caution and patience, emphasizing that the closure will not significantly affect water commerce in the area.