March 26, 2024 is when a terrible human and economic tragedy occurred in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the day that the Francis Scott Key Bridge, part of a major route to Baltimore's shipping center, collapsed after being hit by the container ship Dali. From the Easton Gazette:
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, collapsed early Tuesday morning after it was struck by a container ship. Approximately twenty victims who were on the bridge and ship when the collapse occurred had not been accounted for as of early Tuesday morning.
The bridge, often referred to as the Key Bridge, is a major commuter route through Baltimore. The ship appeared to strike one of the supports of the bridge, causing the bridge to collapse and the roadway to plunge into the water. The ship caught fire as a result.
“This is a dire emergency,” Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press. “Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people.”
The bridge was built in 1977 and spanned the Patapsco River.
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The Bridge was a key link between Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties and also the major roadway for trucks heading to pick up cargo from ships coming into the harbor. A fuel facility near the bridge was also a major place where trucks gassed up as they left the port.
Francis Scott Key Bridge In Baltimore Struck By Ship; Collapses - The Easton Gazette
Of the eight people in the construction crew that were on the bridge when the collision occurred, two were rescued. Bodies of the others were recovered from the Patapsco River. After an investigation, it was determined that there was a electrical outage on the ship that caused it to hit the Key Bridge.
The Key Bridge was one of the thousands of bridges across the United States that were built without "redundancies" which protect them from collapse in the case of an accident like the one that occurred that Tuesday.
At the time, it was estimated that rebuilding the bridge would take over a year and cost millions of dollars. The disruption to the supply chain and to local traffic was going to be massive according to local authorities. Now, according to the MDTA, reconstruction of the new Key Bridge likely won’t be done until the end of 2030 and instead of costing between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, construction could top $5 billion. Congress voted in December of 2024 to fully fund the reconstruction of the bridge.
The collapse of the bridge forced traffic onto alternate routes, causing extra congestion on the Baltimore Beltway. Businesses in the Dunkalk area, which is next to the bridge site, complain of a 40% drop in business.
To commemorate the tragedy today, Maryland Governor Wes Moore wrote: "March 26, 2024, will forever be etched in our memories as the day we lost the six hardworking men who were simply doing their jobs on the Francis Scott Key Bridge. They were fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, and friends – and they will never be forgotten."
Moore has been criticized for proclaiming that the bridge rebuild is one of the fastest rebuild projects in the country. Critics, such as gubernatorial candidate Ed Hale, refute that claim. Hale has been sharply critical of the Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild, repeatedly calling the delays a “failure of leadership,” “unacceptable,” and even “nonsense.”
“Two years. And what do the people of this community have to show for it?” Hale said.
