(William C Lopez)
A tugboat towing a crane barge beneath the Brooklyn Bridge last night sliced open this 50-foot gash in the metal scaffolding wrapping the belly of the span as it undergoes repainting.
The tugboat Thomas Dann was cruising along the East River with the crane in tow when the mishap occurred at around 8:15 p.m., said Coast Guard spokesman Thomas McKenzie.
“It was coming under the bridge, then all you heard was some thudding sounds and some screams,” said Sade Powell, 18, who witnessed the smash from Brooklyn Bridge Park.
“The [boat] kept going and the crane was still upright in the same spot.”
No one was injured, the bridge suffered no structural damage and traffic wasn’t halted, said Department of Transportation spokesman Seth Solomonow.
The tug captain was expected to be interviewed at Port Newark.