On April 13, 2019, the Dewey R was pushing a tow at mile 312.3 on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in Summit, Illinois, when the lead barge, ATC 3404, struck a protection cell on the south side of the CSX Railroad Bridge. The protection cell was displaced about 4 feet and impacted the southern concrete pier of the bridge. There were no reports of injuries, pollution, or water ingress. The cost of repairs to the barge was $162,104, and the estimated cost of repairs to the bridge protection cell and bridge pier was $813,980.

​​The probable cause of the contact of the Dewey R’s lead barge with the south-side protection cell for the CSX Railroad Bridge was the pilot’s departure from the centerline of the channel as the tow approached the bridge without a forward look-out to monitor the transit.

​​​Safe Transits Through Bridges

Operators should exercise extreme caution when maneuvering through bridges and should ​​consider assigning additional personnel to perform look-out duties and monitor the transit.