March 27, 2024, we all awoke to the unfortunate
and shocking news of the Baltimore Bridge collapse. Based on what
we know now, the bridge collapsed as a result of a large shipping
vessel colliding with one of the main pillars of the bridge resulting in
the entire bridge tumbling into the bay.
This event, which happened around 1:20am this morning, was anticipated. The boat’s
crew, identifying an engine issue, alerted the local port authority of an impending
collision. The fact that the vessel was on course to come into contact with a major
structural pillar should have allowed some time for the port authority to inform those
construction workers on the bridge at the time and advise them to exit the bridge as
quickly as possible.
The fact that the workers did not immediately vacate causes one to develop a few hypotheses,
many of which may be easy to prove or disprove in the coming days as more
information about the collision comes to light: 1) if the workers were in fact informed,
why did they not attempt to exit the bridge? Might they have misjudged the structural
integrity of the pylon and chosen to take shelter?, 2) might the Port Authority have
misjudged the speed of the vessel and the potential for catastrophic damage?, 3) is it
possible that any reasonable person familiar with the bridge construction would have
expected the bridge to remain intact after a slow moving vessel made contact with a
major structural element of the bridge?
Construction of the 1.6 mile long Francis Scott Key Bridge started in 1972 and it opened
to traffic on March 23, 1977. It has been a critical passageway for travelers trying to
reach downtown Baltimore for almost 50 years. In fairness, it may be one of the newer
bridges along the east coast.
