The blue bridge is down

As I bicycled towards the Johnson street blue bridge in the rain this afternoon, it was up as a barge was going through. Traffic was backed up East of Swans already. A few minutes later a man with the BC Transit jacket walked passed me, and all of the vehicles in line, telling us a barge had struck the bridge, and it would likely be up for hours. Bicycles and vehicles started to reroute. I of course took the time to take a picture of the traffic line up and tweet the news:

 

Around the same time, the City of Victoria issued an advisory:

Media Advisory
Johnson Street Bridge Temporary Closure

Date: Friday, February 22, 2013
For Immediate Release

VICTORIA, BC – Please note that the Johnson Street Bridge is open in the upright position and will be closed to all vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians for approximately one hour.
As a crane that had been repairing the fendering system on the bridge was being barged away, it struck the bridge in the upright position. An inspection of the bridge is required and will be undertaken immediately.
Motorists are asked to use the Bay Street Bridge or an alternate route for the time being.An update will be provided when more information is available.

No sooner did I send a few tweets when the bridge was completely lowered and opened up again. When I called BC Transit to inquire, they told me that they needed to keep it up to inspect any potential damage,  as the winds were so strong it blew the barge that was passing through right into the side of the bridge. When the bridge closed fully that was enough for them to re-open it. Good thing it's getting replaced, I guess!