Collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge

As of 1300 on 26th March

This tragic collapse of this bridge and any subsequent loss of life provides a stark reminder of the critical importance of strategic infrastructure and in particular key bridges linking parts of cities around the world. In addition to the human cost of such a disaster, there will inevitably be massive economic and social disruption to Baltimore for years to come whilst people seek alternative routes across the river and a replacement bridge is built.

Although any fatality or serious injury will be a personal tragedy for families, there is a small consolation in that the collision occurred at 1.30am. It seems that some overnight works were being carried out at that time and some workers are reported to have fallen into the water. Had this happened at, say, 8.30am with all four lanes of the bridge full of commuter traffic, then the tragedy would have been even greater.

The first question to ask is how did the ship come to be off course and outside the main navigation channel. Current reports seem to suggest a failure of the mechanical or navigation systems, but human error cannot yet be ruled out.

The next question concerns the vulnerability of the bridge piers. After the Sunshine Skyway collapse in 1980, the US Federal Highway Administration directed that all new long span bridges, vulnerable to ship collision should be designed with suitable protection. This was issued in 1983. The Francis Scott Key bridge opened in 1977. It will be interesting to note if any such protection was retrofitted. That said, the momentum from such a large ship, even if travelling at a very slow pace, is absolutely massive and even protection to 1980s standards may not have been enough to stop or divert a vessel of this size.

An advantage that the USA has over almost every country is the effectiveness of the investigation and reporting of such incidents. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will undoubtedly already be on site and starting their investigation. As with the Sunshine Skyway, the NTSB will probably treat this as a maritime incident but hopefully they will also reflect on the progressive nature of the bridge collapse.

It is also worth noting that the number of countries with anything like the equivalent of an NTSB is minimal. Indeed, if such a collapse of a highway bridge occurred in the UK, there is no bespoke body to undertake an investigation. Contrast this with the a similar incident on a railway bridge and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) would undertake an investigation and publish a report.

Returning to Baltimore, at this time the emphasis must rightly be on the rescue and recovery of victims, but work will soon have to start on removing the remains of the bridge and the ship. The knock-on effects on the city, with respect to both transportation links and the harbour facilities will be significant; and obviously the impact on the local socio-economic fabric will remain for some time.