Large barge strikes road bridge in Oklahoma, forcing cops to shut down traffic - days after container ship destroyed Key Bridge in Baltimore and killed six

A barge struck a road bridge over the Arkansas River in Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon which forced cops to shut down traffic.

Troopers closed South U.S. Highway 59 at 1:25 pm after learning that the barge had collided with the bridge.

They quickly diverted traffic away from the area, according to state patrol spokesperson Sarah Stewart. 

The bridge, which crosses the Arkansas River where it enters the Robert S. Kerr Reservoir, will remain closed until it can be inspected, she said.  

There were no reports of injuries on the highway or the barge, Stewart said, and it was not immediately known what caused the barge to hit the bridge.

Saturday's incident came just days after a container ship destroyed Baltimore's Key Bridge and killed six people. 

Operators of the Dali cargo ship issued a mayday call moments before the deadly crash happened early on Tuesday morning. 

Eight construction workers were filling potholes on the bridge when the crash occurred. 

The bodies of two of the six missing construction workers were recovered on Wednesday but the other four are thought to be trapped in the wreckage of the superstructure and may only be found as the bridge is taken apart. 

While the exact cause of the catastrophe is still under investigation, some form of mechanical failure  is speculated as footage also showed the ship's lights turning on and off several times in the moments before. 

Over 4,600 cargo units were on board the ship, 56 of which contained hazardous materials. 

The data was revealed at a press conference on Wednesday, where NTSB Chief Jennifer Homendy confirmed all 23 crewmembers - including two temporary pilots intended to only safely steer the vessel out of port - were safe.