ANNAPOLIS, MD — As the National Transportation Safety Board continues its investigation into the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, the safety administration has identified numerous bridges that are also at risk of collapse should a vessel collide with them.
As a result of the investigation, the NTSB is recommending that 68 bridges — including two in Maryland — undergo a vulnerability assessment to determine the risk of collapse.
The NTSB this week released a report on the March 2024 Maryland incident that documented dozens of other bridges across the nation they say have “unknown levels of risk of collapse” from vessel collisions.
In Maryland, the Chesapeake City Bridge and both spans of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge are recommended to undergo a risk assessment.
The eastbound span of the Bay Bridge, built in 1951, and its westbound counterpart, constructed in 1973, are both deemed “critical/essential” crossings. The Chesapeake City Bridge, erected in 1948, is listed as “typical.”
The Maryland Transportation Authority owns the Bay Bridge, formally known as the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial (Bay) Bridge. The MDTA also owns the Key Bridge, which the NTSB said had a collapse risk 30 times greater than normal.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns the Chesapeake City Bridge, which carries Maryland Route 213 across the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal in the Eastern Shore section of Cecil County.
The NTSB recommends that the bridge owners calculate the annual frequency of collapse for the structures using the Method II calculation from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
If a bridge exceeds that risk threshold, it is considered high risk, according to NTSB. The owners must inform the NTSB whether the probability of collapse is above the threshold.
“Today’s report does not suggest that the 68 bridges are certain to collapse. The NTSB is recommending that these 30 bridge owners evaluate whether the bridges are above the AASHTO acceptable level of risk. The NTSB recommended that bridge owners develop and implement a comprehensive risk reduction plan, if the calculations indicate a bridge has a risk level above the AASHTO threshold,” the NTSB said.
The date by which the assessments must be completed was not immediately clear.
The MDTA released this statement on Friday:
The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) is reviewing recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The MDTA maintains the catastrophe and the tragic loss of life was the sole fault of the DALI and the gross negligence of her owners and operators who put profits above safety.
As requested, the MDTA will provide an update to the NTSB within 30 days, which will include any action we intend to take based on our active evaluation of the pier protection systems, operational changes, and vessel transit procedures of the Bay Bridge. The evaluation is being conducted using American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials methodology and was underway when the NTSB requested its results last fall.
Over the past 50 years, hundreds of thousands of vessels transited under the Key Bridge without incident. The Key Bridge, like other bridges in America, was approved and permitted by the federal government and in compliance with those permits.
The safety of Maryland highways and bridges is always a top priority for MDTA; over the last ten years, the State of Maryland has spent more than $175 million on safety and security for the Bay Bridge alone. MDTA is committed to evaluating and implementing operational changes and vessel transit procedures for both the new Key Bridge and the Bay Bridge.
