If you drove Route 240 into Glasgow the night of June 8, you’d have found the Missouri River bridge shut. Two loose, unmanned barges broke free and struck a pillar on the railroad bridge right next to the Route 240 highway bridge, ABC17 reports. Glasgow Police Chief TJ Livermore watched it happen: the barges hit, spun counter-clockwise, and kept drifting south down the river.
MoDOT closed the adjacent highway bridge around 10:50 p.m. purely as a precaution, to get it inspected before opening it back to traffic. The inspection came back clean and the bridge reopened by 11 a.m. Tuesday — about a 12-hour closure in all. The rail span itself wasn’t damaged, and the barges, which had no tugboat attached, were empty.
Why it matters here: Route 240 through Glasgow is one of the river crossings people use heading toward New Franklin and the Howard County side, and a bridge that closes for safety inspection after a barge strike is exactly the kind of overnight surprise that could strand a late-evening trip. This one resolved fast and cleanly, but it’s a reminder to check conditions before a night crossing on that stretch.