Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed on Tuesday, March 26, around 1:30 a.m. after being struck by a cargo ship weighing 213 million pounds. Moments before colliding with the bridge, the ship, Dali, lost all engine and electrical power, causing it to veer off path. The ship’s crew was able to issue a “mayday” before the collision, granting authorities time to stop incoming traffic, possibly saving many lives. Immediately following the collision, a search and rescue team was dispatched to begin the search for the eight people who were on the bridge at the time of the collapse. The tragedy left six people, believed to be members of a road construction crew, pronounced dead. Two were rescued, one of whom was hospitalized and later discharged. As of April 9, two of the victims’ bodies have been recovered, while the other four remain missing and presumed dead. The goal of the rescue teams is to recover the bodies to bring closure to the affected families as soon as they possibly can.
In terms of repair, President Joe Biden claimed the federal government would cover the entire cost of rebuilding. Some other political officials, such as Rep. Dan Meuser, have made it clear they believe his statement to be “outrageous”. However, efforts to rebuild cannot be started until the wreckage is cleared. Crews began removing shipping containers on Sunday, April 7, which was regarded as a “critical step” in the recovery process.
“‘Removing containers allows for safe access to then remove the pieces of the Key Bridge that lie across the ship’s bow, taking weight off the ship and ultimately allowing for the movement of the ship,’ Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command said in a statement Sunday,” according to NBC News.
It’s crucial to make the rebuilding process efficient, as the bridge transported approximately 850,000 vehicle shipments a year, and in 2023 processed a record number of cargo containers, nearly 1.1 million. Additionally, the collapse blocked the Port of Baltimore, one of America’s busiest ports. Many port workers are out of jobs at the moment due to the blockage, which affects not only their families and their livelihoods but also the national economy.
“[The] Baltimore bridge collapse [is] a ‘national economic catastrophe,’ says Maryland governor,” according to CNBC.
Nearly 40 years ago, a similar instance occurred in which the bridge was hit by a cargo ship. However, it differed in the fact that the bridge stood strong the first time around. Experts believe the dramatic difference between these two scenarios is the increase in the size of cargo vessels over the years. Bridges that, in the past, would’ve been structurally sound enough to withstand a collision now cannot bear the impact modern-day ships have due to their larger size. After this incident, many are hopeful that bridges can be redesigned with the capacity to handle the risk of collision with larger ships.
