The recent catastrophe of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsing has prompted renewed investigation into not only the specific structure but also the general state of bridges throughout the U.S., many of which are deemed as being in poor condition.
The cause of the bridge’s failure, which occurred early on Tuesday morning when a large container ship struck it causing its fall into the Patapsco river, remains unknown. The authorities have stated that the ship sent a distress signal as it lost direction and seemed to lose power.
The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team to probe into the terrifying collapse that has resulted in six people currently missing. The current governing official of Maryland, Wes Moore, asserted that the bridge was fully up to standards even though some experts have suggested that the bridge, which was completed in 1977, was designed before the era of oversized container ships.
A proficient in civil and structural engineering from the University of Sheffield, Andrew Barr, stated that “the footage does not show any evident structural flaws in the bridge, but it wouldn’t have been engineered to withstand a frontal collision with such a big ship”. According to Barr, the Francis Scott Key Bridge did not seem to be safeguarded with extra infrastructure against ship hits, which have become more hazardous as the size and design of cargo ships has evolved over the years. In merely the previous ten years, the average ability of container ships to hold cargo has grown by about 50 per cent.
However, the phenomenal collapse has once again spotlighted worries about the general condition of US bridges, with over a third requiring repair, as per the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. Although the condition of US bridges has slowly gotten better in the past few years, the association stated, over 43,000 are still deemed to be in poor condition and categorised as “structurally deficient”, with a potential risk of future collapse.
“This disaster underlines how America’s vital infrastructure is susceptible to sudden catastrophic events as well as deliberate demolition,” said Rick Geddes, a policy expert on infrastructure and head of the infrastructure policy programme at Cornell University.
“An upgraded resilience should be paramount as dilapidated infrastructures are renewed. Heightened defences against ship-bridge impacts will without a doubt become more pertinent.”
Commenting on the catastrophe in Baltimore, Geddes suggested it should be seen as a chance to revamp America’s infrastructure intelligently, encompassing advanced materials and designs to minimise the likelihood of forthcoming accidents. He also mentioned the potential use of sensors embedded within bridges transmitting data to approaching vessels in real-time.
The critical condition of American bridges brought them to the attention of the Biden admin, acting as a catalyst for the bipartisan infrastructure law endorsed by the US president in 2021, with a staggering budget of $1.2 trillion (around €1.1 trillion). Within the budget is an allocation of $110 billion specifically for road and bridge renovations. Biden visited one such crumbling bridge in Wisconsin recently to broadcast the improvements brought about by this investment.
Mr Biden, addressing an event in January, highlighted that the replacement of this bridge had been a topic of discussion for years, without any actual progress. However, this issue was now being addressed. He mentioned, “This bridge matters, but the narrative we are crafting extends beyond that.”
There is an ongoing risk, however, with an average of around 167 million trips a day being made over bridges of subpar structure in the US.
Concerning Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, Biden communicated on Tuesday his goal for the federal government to cover the complete cost of its reconstruction. He’s seeking Congressional backing for this proposal.