The Golden Ears Bridge railing took a hit Wednesday morning when an overheight crane on a barge plowed into the bridge鈥檚 east side.

The strike damaged the railing along the northbound bike lane, said TransLink spokesperson Chris Bryan.

The collision apparently took place sometime around 4 a.m., which is when contractors for the bridge were notified, Bryan said.

Engineers diad a visual inspection of the scene Wednesday morning.

鈥淎t this point, they believe there鈥檚 no structural damage to the bridge,鈥� said Bryan.

However, engineers will be on scene for a more thorough survey.

One northbound lane and one sidewalk are closed for now.

It鈥檚 uncertain how long the bike lane/sidewalk on the east side will be closed for repairs.

As for why the crane struck, it鈥檚 unknown, but water levels in the river are higher than normal at this time of year.