Hassan to Survey Sarah Long Bridge Damage

Gov. Maggie Hassan is scheduled to review the damage sustained by the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge on Tuesday morning.

According to Marc Goldberg, Hassan's press secretary, the governor is scheduled to arrive in Portsmouth at 7:30 a.m. and review the damage caused by a tanker on Monday afternoon with members of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.

The Harbour Feature tanker out of Madeira, Portugal was refueling at the New Hampshire State Pier after it picked up its cargo of tallow oil upriver in Newington when one of its mooring lines broke causing the vessel to crash sideways into the Portsmouth side of the span. Moran Towing tugboat pilots successfully moved the tanker away from the bridge on Monday evening and secured it at the New Hampshire State Pier.

Meanwhile, New Hampshire DOT officials say the bridge will remain closed to motor vehicle traffic for the foreseeable future until the actual damage can be assessed and the proper repairs made.

"Tomorrow morning the thorough inspection and engineering analysis will begin. Once the full extent of the damage is known and a fix is determined the Department will be able to estimate how long the bridge will remain closed to vehicular traffic," wrote David Rodrigue, the state agency's assistant director of operations, in an e-mail.