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Brooklyn Bridge Crane Crash Under Investigation by Coast Guard

Damaged sheet metal beneath the Brooklyn Bridge Weds., March 14, 2012.
Damaged sheet metal beneath the Brooklyn Bridge Weds., March 14, 2012.
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DNAinfo/Theodore Parisienne

MANHATTAN — The startling crane crash that ripped a gaping hole in the scaffolding beneath the Brooklyn Bridge Tuesday night is under investigation by the Coast Guard, authorities said.

Officials have interviewed the captain of the tug boat that was pulling the massive rig, which tore a 20-foot gash in the protective covering beneath the landmark span around 8 p.m., but the result the result was not immediately clear.

The investigation came as authorities have restricted boats that are more than 90 feet tall from passing beneath the damaged portion of the bridge, which is undergoing a $508 million renovation.

The military is trying to determine where the boat, which is being held at Port Newark during the investigation, was traveling to and from at the time of the incident.

The Coast Guard was also trying to find out why the crane was extended high enough to gouge the sheet metal.

The wreck, which closed lanes on the bridge for hours as emergency crews conducted inspections, did not result in any spills into the East River, the spokesman added.

And the bridge, which has since reopened to traffic, itself did not suffer any damage in the incident.