Posted on March 26, 2025
DredgeWire Publisher Peter Bowe speaks about Baltimore bridge collapse in podcast
U.S. Maritime Industry Delivers in Wake of FSK Bridge Collapse: One Year Ago Today
We are at the one-year since the Francis Scott Key (FSK) Bridge collapsed over the Patapsco River’s Fort McHenry Channel in Baltimore, Maryland. Nearly 100 percent of the wreckage and debris removal was conducted by the Jones Act private sector U.S. maritime industry.
The FSK collapsed at about 1:28 a.m. local time on March 26, 2025, after the container ship MV DALI lost power and collided with one of bridge’s support piers.
While some perceived experts surmised that the port would be shut down for at least one-year, those of us in the U.S. maritime industry knew it would not be a crippling long term shut down of the Port of Baltimore. We knew the American maritime industry with its dedicated companies and patriotic merchant mariners would show up and turn to. Opening the channel was going to take weeks, not a year or even several months.
The U.S.-Flag marine construction, dredging and maritime industry responded immediately to the collapse. In fact, Cashman Dredging & Marine Contracting Company, LLC had recently completed maintenance dredging of the Baltimore Harbor approach channels. As a result, Cashman had its DALE PYATT clamshell dredge, barges and other equipment anchored and stacked in Baltimore’s Curtis Bay. The DALE PYATT is one of the largest clam shell dredges in North America.
“At Cashman, we’re always ready to support America’s waterways,” said Stephen Tobin, Chief Executive Officer of Cashman Dredging and Marine Contracting. “With a significant fleet already stationed in Baltimore, we were able to mobilize immediately to help with the efforts to clear wreckage and restore safe navigation as quickly as possible.”
In addition, Gahagan & Bryant Associates/S.T. Hudson Engineers (GBA/Hudson) based in Tampa, Florida sent three of its vessels into the wreckage site. “We mobilized our hydrographic survey vessel, the SEAFIX, and had her onsite by 10:00 a.m. scanning the Patapsco River’s seafloor,” said Grady Bryant, Chief Executive Officer, GBA/Hudson (Gahagan and Bryant Associates, Inc.). The company then brought in the BELLA MARIE and RV COASTAL, both vessels equipped with high resolution geophysical and geotechnical surveying capabilities.
Within three days, the media described the operation as an “armada of waterborne assets” being delivered to the area. In fact, upon the arrival of Donjon Marine Co., Inc.’s CHESAPEAKE 1000 heavy lift sheerleg crane ship arrived on the scene on March 29, 2024, NBC News correspondent Tom Costello reported on television: “It’s the largest on the east coast, part of an armada of barges, salvage vessels and tugboats on the way.”
More than 100 Jones Act, U.S.-maritime vessels were involved.
See articles in comment, thank you Greg Trauthwein and the affiliate media outlets New Wave Media Intl.
