Key Bridge in Baltimore collapses

[DragonAttack]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/maryland-bridge-collapse-francis-scott-key-bridge-boat-baltimore-rcna145047

Part of my daily commute at one time.  Sorry for those who are lost.  Sorry for the cluster this will cause. 

A couple of hundred yards gap for the freighter to use, and yet that wasn't big enough

Just simply stunned....

[axeman90210]

Holy shit, that's crazy. I've definitely gone over that bridge while visiting family in Baltimore. Hopefully there weren't many people on the bridge when the boat struck. This is going to cause logistics problems for a while between the port and car traffic impacts.

[jingle.boy]

mrs.jingle shared that with me first thing.  Fucking crazy.

There must've been an electrical / steering problem with the ship.  ATM, 7 people missing I think I heard an hour ago.

[gmillerdrake]

mrs.jingle shared that with me first thing.  Fucking crazy.

There must've been an electrical / steering problem with the ship.  ATM, 7 people missing I think I heard an hour ago.

Seems like it....that's a big gap to have missed and then hit that support pillar.





Unless it was intentional

[Stadler]

I didn't click the link above, but I have the local news on now and they have it all on video.  It a stunning thing to watch.

[HOF]

Horrific images. Thankful that there were relatively few cars on the bridge at the time, but still tragic no matter how many.

[gmillerdrake]

Horrific images. Thankful that there were relatively few cars on the bridge at the time, but still tragic no matter how many.

Probably the 'best' possible time for it to happen that late at night/early in the morning.

[cramx3]

Damn that video is wild, tragic and seems totally able to prevent.

[lordxizor]

Reminds me of the Mineapolis bridge collapse 15 years ago or so. Crazy and horrifying. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be on a bridge when something like that happens.

[cramx3]

Damn that video is wild, tragic and seems totally able to prevent.

Maybe not totaly preventable, from some reading just now, it seems the cargo ship lost power.

[El Barto]

I'm amazed there wasn't better protection around the support structures. They didn't design this thing without knowing that at some point a giant ship would hit one of them. Ships hit bridges sometimes. I watched a doc a while back about an identical incident in the Wang back in the late 70s/early 80s. Massive winds came out of nowhere and blew a ship laterally beyond its ability to correct.

There looked to be black smoke and a helluva lot of it pouring out the container ship.

Looking at the area on Google Earth there doesn't seem to be any way of bypassing that bridge. I suspect a lot of people quit their jobs today. A lot of others resign themselves to spending an extra hour+ in their cars each way.

[jingle.boy]

I'm amazed there wasn't better protection around the support structures. They didn't design this thing without knowing that at some point a giant ship would hit one of them. Ships hit bridges sometimes. I watched a doc a while back about an identical incident in the Wang back in the late 70s/early 80s. Massive winds came out of nowhere and blew a ship laterally beyond its ability to correct.

There looked to be black smoke and a helluva lot of it pouring out the container ship.

Looking at the area on Google Earth there doesn't seem to be any way of bypassing that bridge. I suspect a lot of people quit their jobs today. A lot of others resign themselves to spending an extra hour+ in their cars each way.

I gotta think going around the peninsula or to the next closest bridge is going to add an hour itself just for the distance for most commuters - then tack on the additional volume - I'd guess it's more like 2+ hours each way for the foreseeable future, and added time for the next few years until this thing gets rebuilt.

[jingle.boy]

Here's a good vid of that live feed that shows the power loss(es).  Thankfully, it looks like there wasn't any moving traffic at the time of the collapse, just a few (construction??) vehicles with flashing lights.

https://twitter.com/dcnewslive/status/1772548737904107848

Still, devastating all around.

[faizoff]

Such a crazy event and tragic, really hope the loss of life was minimal seeing how it was late at night.

A very similar thing happened 44 years ago in the Tampa area with a ship colliding with the piilar of a bridge. Only this happened at 7:30 am and there was more loss of life.

https://www.fox13news.com/news/sunshine-skyway-bridge-francis-scott-key-baltimore-tampa-st-pete-florida-pinellas-hillsborough-collapse-boat-freighter

[faizoff]

Here's a good vid of that live feed that shows the power loss(es).  Thankfully, it looks like there wasn't any moving traffic at the time of the collapse, just a few (construction??) vehicles with flashing lights.

https://twitter.com/dcnewslive/status/1772548737904107848

Still, devastating all around.

Holy crap, that's just wild.

[Lonk]

I'm amazed there wasn't better protection around the support structures.

This was my first thought when I saw it. Here are two bridges I drive through frequently:



This one is the George Washington Bridge.


Both have some sort of barrier to protect the based. If Cargo ships were going under that bridge, you would think a bit more protection should've been in place.

[El Barto]

Here's a good vid of that live feed that shows the power loss(es).  Thankfully, it looks like there wasn't any moving traffic at the time of the collapse, just a few (construction??) vehicles with flashing lights.

https://twitter.com/dcnewslive/status/1772548737904107848

Still, devastating all around.

At the point of that power failure they were already screwed bigtime. If they were needing those scant seconds to avoid a disaster then that whole plan was very poorly thought out from the time of the bridge's construction to seconds before the crunch.

[XJDenton]

I gotta think going around the peninsula or to the next closest bridge is going to add an hour itself just for the distance for most commuters - then tack on the additional volume - I'd guess it's more like 2+ hours each way for the foreseeable future, and added time for the next few years until this thing gets rebuilt.

The port is also going to be completely screwed until the debris is cleared, and its one of the major import destinations for Cars and Farming/Agricultural products.

[cramx3]

The port is also going to be completely screwed until the debris is cleared, and its one of the major import destinations for Cars and Farming/Agricultural products.

Yeah, while obviously it's sad that people lost their lives from this, the impact is quite broad to the local community and the supply chain of getting in/out of that port.  Really shitty situation.

This was my first thought when I saw it. Here are two bridges I drive through frequently

Yeah, I'd be lying if I didn't think about my local bridges driving in today.  I don't cross the BW bridge normally, but I kept thinking about what would happen if that bridge were down for a few years.

[Lonk]

Yeah, I'd be lying if I didn't think about my local bridges driving in today.  I don't cross the BW bridge normally, but I kept thinking about what would happen if that bridge were down for a few years.

Yeah, that would be a nightmare and I don't want to think about it  It would probably be easier to drive up through the Cuomo Bridge than dealing with the Lincoln Tunnel.

[romdrums]

Such a crazy event and tragic, really hope the loss of life was minimal seeing how it was late at night.

A very similar thing happened 44 years ago in the Tampa area with a ship colliding with the piilar of a bridge. Only this happened at 7:30 am and there was more loss of life.

https://www.fox13news.com/news/sunshine-skyway-bridge-francis-scott-key-baltimore-tampa-st-pete-florida-pinellas-hillsborough-collapse-boat-freighter

I remember hearing about this when I was a kid. We drove across the surviving span on our way down to my Grandparents' house about 4 years later, and it was freaky to see the other span just stop as we were driving over the bridge. The new bridge is so much nicer, and safer!

[Grappler]

Just read that the ship was able to send out a mayday call that allowed just enough time for police or crews to block traffic to the bridge.  You can see a couple of cars FLYING down the bridge just before the ship hits it. 

[XJDenton]

Yeah, I'd be lying if I didn't think about my local bridges driving in today.  I don't cross the BW bridge normally, but I kept thinking about what would happen if that bridge were down for a few years.

Not so fun fact: about 7.5% of the bridges in the US are rated "Poor" or considered structurally deficient.

[SoundscapeMN]

Not so fun fact: about 7.5% of the bridges in the US are rated "Poor" or considered structurally deficient.

after the 35W Bridge collapsed in Minneapolis, those statistics started to come out.

I had driven over it just a few hours before it collapsed, but really ever since, whenever I drive/ride over any kind of bridge, especially longer, higher traffic bridges, it crosses my mind. I just want to get to the other side asap.

[Harmony]

Not so fun fact: about 7.5% of the bridges in the US are rated "Poor" or considered structurally deficient.

Yes and from what I'm reading, this bridge had a "D" rating.

Here in the US, if a homeowner doesn't maintain the sidewalks in front of their home and someone gets hurt, we are liable, right?  At what point does our government bear responsibility for poor/dangerous infrastructure?

[cramx3]

after the 35W Bridge collapsed in Minneapolis, those statistics started to come out.

Yeah, I recall seeing these poor stats about our bridges coming out after the Minneapolis one. 

I do wonder though, if say that bridge was an "A" rating, what damage would have happened under the same scenario.

[lonestar]

Yes and from what I'm reading, this bridge had a "D" rating.

Here in the US, if a homeowner doesn't maintain the sidewalks in front of their home and someone gets hurt, we are liable, right?  At what point does our government bear responsibility for poor/dangerous infrastructure?

Pretty sure this tragedy will test the limits of government responsibility, but I'd imagine a great deal of the liability will transfer to the shipping company.

[lonestar]

I remember when the 89 quake hit and took out the Bay Bridge, the effect on traffic here was devastating, and it lasted for months till it was fixed.

[pg1067]

Here in the US, if a homeowner doesn't maintain the sidewalks in front of their home and someone gets hurt, we are liable, right?  At what point does our government bear responsibility for poor/dangerous infrastructure?

The answer to the first question you asked depends on the state/locality.  Where I live, it's not true, but I know it's true in other places (although I wonder about the extent to which responsibility extends).

As for the second question, governments at all levels (federal, state and local) enjoy sovereign immunity.  However, both the federal government and all states have enacted tort claims acts that allow limited tort claims (i.e., claims for negligence and other things not arising out of contracts) against them (the state laws also apply to local governments).  For example, when a person causes a car accident through negligence and is acting in the course and scope of his/her employment, his/her employer is vicariously liable for the damages.  These sorts of suits are allowed against governmental employers under most (if not all) tort claims acts.  On the other hand, where damage results from a discretionary decision (e.g., a decision to shore up a bridge foundation), the suit would not typically be allowed.

If I had to guess, I would guess that the Maryland Transportation Authority will not have any liability here.

[El Barto]

It's what my boss calls "lawyers in love." Everybody is going to sue everybody. The families of victims will get a token sum each, and the only winners will be the lawyers who all get to split up tons of money from various insurance carriers.

[hunnus2000]

That's what the Infrastructure bill was for.

Of course it takes time to fix infrastructure Doesn't happen overnight..

[Stadler]

after the 35W Bridge collapsed in Minneapolis, those statistics started to come out.

I had driven over it just a few hours before it collapsed, but really ever since, whenever I drive/ride over any kind of bridge, especially longer, higher traffic bridges, it crosses my mind. I just want to get to the other side asap.

There's a bridge over the Hudson River that I have to drive frequently enough to give me agita.   It is two lanes in both directions, but it's an exceedingly flat road bed, and there's no curbs on the outside edge.  I'm scared of heights, and that bridge is a nightmare for me.  This isn't going to make that any better. 

[emtee]

Terrible tragedy. I used to have to cross the Mackinac bridge connecting upper and lower michigan. Steel grates you can see through, sparse guardrails you can also see through and very high. I don't like heights and that damn bridge always gave me the creeps, especially in winter when it was windy.

[Orbert]

Yeah, the Mackinac Bridge is scary.  I'm from Michigan and have been over it a number of times.  Always freaks me out.

We lived in Maryland for a while, between Baltimore and DC, so I've been over the Key Bridge a few times.  That video was intense.  Infrastructure around there is gonna be screwed up, big time, for a while.

[Lonk]

1 body recovered, 5 more presumed dead at this point.