Name Of Owner Of Runaway Barge Not Released

Local authorities in Loudon County, Tenn., are not releasing the name of the owner of a runaway barge that was stopped just short of crashing into a Tennessee River bridge.

The incident happened on the night of March 9, as the lone barge drifted downriver. The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office and Tennessee Highway Patrol stopped both directions of road traffic across I-75 in Loudon County near the Tennessee River bridge for an hour as a precaution.

The barge, which was reportedly carrying 200,000 pounds of iron ore, was stopped some 600-plus yards from colliding with the bridge by a small towboat belonging to Tate & Lyle, a local maker of bioproducts that is a division of Dupont.

The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office’s told local media that the barge came out of the Fort Loudoun Terminal in Lenoir City, Tenn. Three cables were broken on the barge.

The only reported damage was to a recreational boat dock in Loudon County.

Authorities said this runaway barge incident was the first time something like that has happened at the Fort Loudoun Terminal, which is operated by an agricultural cooperative. Remarks made to local media by the cooperative indicate that the parties may be assessing liability before releasing the name of the barge owner.