Staff Reports
A recent report revealed that a maritime safety committee had been warning for 20 years about the potential for a “collapse” of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, cautioning that it was not designed to endure collisions from large vessels. However, these warnings were largely disregarded by officials, according to the report.
Members of a Baltimore harbor safety committee raised concerns about the possibility of a massive ship crashing into the Maryland bridge decades ago. https://t.co/MliwjNvabi
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) May 23, 2024
The bridge collapsed when the massive cargo ship Dali, bound for Sri Lanka, lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s supporting columns, resulting in the deaths of six construction workers. Federal investigators indicated that the Dali had two electrical blackouts before departing the port, and U.S. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Peter Gautier emphasized the increasing risk of such deadly collisions due to the huge ships navigating the country’s ports.
The Baltimore Harbor Safety and Coordination Committee had been alerting about these risks for years, even discussing concerns about both the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the Baltimore bridge. Yet, when contacted, top Maryland transportation officials claimed they were not briefed on these concerns. This underscores the concerning negligence towards these warnings.
While there is debate about whether anything could have prevented the bridge collapse given the size and speed of the Dali, experts agree that additional safeguards are necessary to mitigate the risk posed by large container ships. Implementing ship-collision protection systems can be costly, but the potential cost of neglecting such precautions was highlighted by the estimated $2 billion price tag for rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The tragic collapse of the bridge serves as a stark reminder of the importance of heeding warnings and taking proactive measures to protect critical infrastructure. It is imperative that officials prioritize the safety of our nation’s bridges and ports, and take the necessary steps to prevent such devastating incidents in the future.
