6:25 a.m. Sunday update: Brooks Bridge is back open after an inspection by the Florida Department of Transportation found it to be structurally sound.

The bridge was closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic Saturday night after a barge carrying tall heavy equipment struck the underside of the bridge.

Several witnesses and the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office reported the bridge shook upon impact.

Engineers and divers from FDOT District 3 reached the scene late last night.

Shortly after 1 a.m. FDOT tweeted "All lanes open on Brooks Bridge after inspection finds the bridge is structurally sound."

This story will be updated once additional information is made available.

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FORT WALTON BEACH — A barge struck the Brooks Bridge about 7:15 p.m. Saturday, forcing officials to close the span until it was determined to be safe to cross.

Fort Walton Beach police and Okaloosa County sheriff's deputies closed the bridge to vehicles and pedestrians in both directions. The bridge was still closed at 9:30 p.m.

Traffic reportedly was backed up east across Okaloosa Island into Destin.

Firefighters and the Coast Guard were at the scene along with law officers. The Sheriff's Office said just before 9 p.m. that a crew from the Florida Department of Transportation was en route from the district office in Chipley to inspect the bridge.

There was no immediate word on when the bridge would be reopened.

Several people said they saw accident.

Jim Henderson, who lives at Palm Court Yacht Club on Okaloosa Island, said the barge loaded with construction equipment and two tugboats were heading west. He said the barge had several stabilizers similar to what utility trucks use to anchor them to the ground when doing aerial work.

Henderson said two of the stabilizers were straight up in the air, and he wondered whether the barge could make it under the bridge.

Henderson and his brother, who was visiting from out of town, saw the stabilizers hit the underside of the bridge. Henderson said his brother described it as similar to seeing an earthquake on the news.

"It kind of went up and down like a wave," Henderson said. "To be honest, I think the bridge gave."

He said the stabilizers bent as the barge and tugs continued under the bridge before they pulled over in Santa Rosa Sound just west of the span.

The Sheriff's Office also reported that the bridge shook on impact.

"It hit the bridge hard enough to shake it," Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Michele Nicholson said.

Janet Walker of Fort Walton Beach was leaving the Musical Echoes festival at Fort Walton Landing when she saw the collision.

"I was walking back from the festival. I was getting ready to cross the street and I noticed this barge was going super slow," Walker said. "It looked like the barge was carrying metal pipes. The pipes in the front went under, but the pipes in the back hit the metal under the bridge."

Robert Adam was one of the last motorists to cross the bridge before it was closed.

“We were coming over the bridge and we saw a lot of emergency vehicles and a cop looking over the bridge at the water. We thought it was a jumper. We had no idea,” Adam said.