The collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key bridge after it was stuck by a large container ship is tragic for its loss of life. A 948-foot cargo ship lost power and crashed into the bridge which had construction crews, as well as drivers, on it. Six people are still missing.
Today, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg gave an update on the issues on ABC News and said that first responders, coast guards and divers worked tirelessly at the scene. He said the loss of life could have been worse if it weren’t for their actions. After the mayday call, people were rescued and the bridge was closed. It was reported that the police had about 90 seconds to stop traffic.
Currently the Coast Guard has boarded the vessel and is sending information to the NTSB to evaluate the situation. A report is expected in the next two to four weeks.
The issue of safety of this bridge, and others, comes into focus. According to CBS News, this bridge scored a six out of nine during its latest federal inspection. This is considered a “fair condition.” In 2002 the bridge passed inspection but there was a concern with one of the columns.
However, this fair condition is common, and most bridges in the U.S fall in this range, according to Ben Schafer, professor of civil and systems engineering at John Hopkins, according to CBS.
A recent analysis from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association found that about one in three U.S bridges need to be replaced. And over 43,000 are in poor condition and classified at “structurally” deficient. The cost to repair the bridges is estimated to be $125 billion according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.
According to an article on CNBC, each day about 167 million trips are taken across structurally deficient bridges.
With the average age of bridges being 44, the government is aiming to distribute $27 billion over the next five years to fix or rebuild thousands of bridges.
More Bridge Collapse Coverage
- Eight MDOT Contractors Missing: Brawner Builders’ crew was doing concrete repair on the bridge, reports Road & Bridges.
- Video: Cargo Ship Collapses Baltimore Bridge, Sending 7 Cars into Water: The Maryland Transportation Authority Police dispatch and response to the Key Bridge Collapse, from Officer (listen below).
- Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Collapses after Ship Strike; Six Missing: Divers joined the rescue after daybreak, from Firehouse.
- Maryland DOT Addresses Key Bridge Collapse: Detours and alternate routes in the wake of the collapse, from Roads & Bridges.
- Baltimore Key Bridge collapses into river overnight: Facts on the collapse, from Fleet Owner.
- How the Baltimore bridge collapse impacts trucking: In addition to port problems, the loss of the bridge will likely snarl trucking, from FleetOwner.
- Baltimore Bridge Collapses After Being Hit by Ship: Ongoing coverage from Roads & Bridges.
- Supply Chain Disaster Occurs at the Port of Baltimore: The loss of port traffic in Baltimore will likely snarl supply chains for the near future, from Material Handling & Logistics.