On October 12, 2018, about 0141 local time, the towing vessel Kristin Alexis was transiting with the crane barge Mr Ervin upbound on the Lower Mississippi River near St. James, Louisiana, when the crane struck the deck of the Sunshine Bridge while passing under the west channel span. No pollution or injuries to the six crewmembers on board the Kristin Alexis were reported. The bridge was completely closed to vehicular traffic for 49 days while repairs were made, which resulted in significant traffic impacts. Damage to the bridge was $6.7 million, while crane damage was estimated at $8,500.

​​The probable cause of the Mr Ervin crane barge striking the Sunshine Bridge was the inadequate voyage planning and watch turnover between the captain and pilot, resulting in the pilot transiting beneath the bridge's west span instead of its channel span. Contributing to the accident was the lack of company oversight. Also contributing to the accident was the charted information for the bridge used by the pilot, which did not reflect the actual vertical clearance of the west span.

​​As a result of this investigation, we made two recommendations to the Marquette Transportation Company and one recommendation to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).​