GALVESTON — The Galveston Causeway sustained minor damage when a crane being carried on a barge hit it Thursday morning, forcing one traffic lane to be closed for about an hour, state officials say.

The barge was passing under the causeway about 8:15 a.m. when the boom on a crane it was carrying hit the structure, said Deidrea Samuels, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Transportation.

State officials closed one northbound lane until about 9:30 a.m. as they inspected the damage.

The tugboat The Cristian was towing the crane for Texas City-based construction company Piling Inc., Samuels said.

The crane did not belong to Traylor Brothers, the contractor building the new causeway, which connects the island to the mainland.

State officials could not immediately say whether the barge owner would be held financially responsible for the damage.

State officials are awaiting a complete report by the U.S. Coast Guard before filing an insurance claim, Samuels said.

Traylor Brothers called the state to report the incident, Samuels said. The $135 million causeway project is expected to be complete this fall.