Key bridge in Baltimore collapses after cargo ship crashes into it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You’d think a loaded ship would be require to use a tug escort at least past a huge bridge to eliminate this possibility??

There are locals used to pilot through the harbor apparently. But not sure how that helps if the entire ship loses power as is what seems to have happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You’d think a loaded ship would be require to use a tug escort at least past a huge bridge to eliminate this possibility??

I was wondering about that as well. When I lived in downtown Baltimore, it was common to see the tugboats with the container ships in the harbor area. I, too, thought it was a requirement.

[Anonymous]

Hearing that 20 workers may have been on the bridge is terrifying. I hope they were somehow able to escape or be rescued - I haven't heard anything at this early hour.
Six highway workers were killed last year by two cars that were going on 100 mph.
https://www.wbaltv.com/article/melachi-brown-guilty-plea-i-695-beltway-fatal-crash/46276190

It's not clear if any or how many cars may have been plunged into the water. This Topgear video opened my eyes to how things would probably go - basically forget about waiting for the car to fill up with water, etc. Just get the heck out as fast as you can.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-hADcZ49fE

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe the state of our infrastructure is so bad that this would take out the WHOLE bridge. God bless the people who were driving on it at the time, there’s no way they will pull many survivors out of the river

I do not want to sound obnoxious but every single time I am traveling on a bridge over water I am always on alert and anticipate that I could end up in the water at any moment.

Same, it's a massive fear of mine. I actually wind down my window so I can get out if my car ends up in the water.
It's even worse now that I'm always driving with my toddler in her car seat in the back seat..

So sorry for those people who were on the bridge, it happened so quick

It’s a big fear of mine too- I should start rolling down the window.

So awful- and could have been so much worse of it had happened a few hours later. I imagine that even by 630am on a weekday there is typically more than 20 cars on the bridge.

Yup it’s the Baltimore Beltway and doesn’t look dissimilar from the DC Beltway during rush hour.

And the shipping to the Port of Baltimore. Thats the main shipping channel isn’t it? That’s got to be a huge economic hit until the bridge is removed. I wonder how many cruise ships won’t be able to get back from spring break trips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe the state of our infrastructure is so bad that this would take out the WHOLE bridge. God bless the people who were driving on it at the time, there’s no way they will pull many survivors out of the river

Unfortunately we didn't spend any infrastructure money to make bridges impenetrable to collision from ships.

It’s entirely possible I am misunderstanding how these things are constructed and work but at most I would expect a portion of the bridge to collapse if one support column was hit. The whole entire just immediately fell, it didn’t even like stand and wobble, or part of it collapse while the ends remained intact, it just collapsed! That seems like an insanely weak construction.

For any bridge with long spans, the loss of a pillar is taking the whole thing down. That's just how physics work. The sections left when the pillar is removed will never be balanced enough to remain standing and the whole thing will collapse

+1 Also now that it’s daylight you can better see the parts of the bridge that are still standing. I imagine/hope that there were drivers on those sections who were able to stop in time when it happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe the state of our infrastructure is so bad that this would take out the WHOLE bridge. God bless the people who were driving on it at the time, there’s no way they will pull many survivors out of the river

I do not want to sound obnoxious but every single time I am traveling on a bridge over water I am always on alert and anticipate that I could end up in the water at any moment.

Same, it's a massive fear of mine. I actually wind down my window so I can get out if my car ends up in the water.
It's even worse now that I'm always driving with my toddler in her car seat in the back seat..

So sorry for those people who were on the bridge, it happened so quick

It’s a big fear of mine too- I should start rolling down the window.

So awful- and could have been so much worse of it had happened a few hours later. I imagine that even by 630am on a weekday there is typically more than 20 cars on the bridge.

Yup it’s the Baltimore Beltway and doesn’t look dissimilar from the DC Beltway during rush hour.

And the shipping to the Port of Baltimore. Thats the main shipping channel isn’t it? That’s got to be a huge economic hit until the bridge is removed. I wonder how many cruise ships won’t be able to get back from spring break trips.

Yes, the debris in the harbor is absolutely going to close the port.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’d think a loaded ship would be require to use a tug escort at least past a huge bridge to eliminate this possibility??

There are locals used to pilot through the harbor apparently. But not sure how that helps if the entire ship loses power as is what seems to have happened.

Pretty sure the purpose of a tug boat is for exactly this purpose - to maintain a speed so slow and course so conservative that the tugs can push it clear of bridges, other ships, etc. the heavier the ship, the more tugs are required.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe the state of our infrastructure is so bad that this would take out the WHOLE bridge. God bless the people who were driving on it at the time, there’s no way they will pull many survivors out of the river

Unfortunately we didn't spend any infrastructure money to make bridges impenetrable to collision from ships.

It’s entirely possible I am misunderstanding how these things are constructed and work but at most I would expect a portion of the bridge to collapse if one support column was hit. The whole entire just immediately fell, it didn’t even like stand and wobble, or part of it collapse while the ends remained intact, it just collapsed! That seems like an insanely weak construction.

For any bridge with long spans, the loss of a pillar is taking the whole thing down. That's just how physics work. The sections left when the pillar is removed will never be balanced enough to remain standing and the whole thing will collapse

+1 Also now that it’s daylight you can better see the parts of the bridge that are still standing. I imagine/hope that there were drivers on those sections who were able to stop in time when it happened.

[Anonymous]

Still confused how the shipping container hit the pillars even if it did lose power…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Still confused how the shipping container hit the pillars even if it did lose power…

There would be no control of the vessel, and the water has currents that push a ship about.

[Anonymous]

Does this impact traffic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does this impact traffic

It'll have a massive impact on traffic for a long time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does this impact traffic

Yes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does this impact traffic

Yes. Everyone who uses this bridge will be in the tunnels or on the city streets instead. And HazMats who can’t use the tunnels will have to use the other side of the Beltway which is much longer and more heavily trafficked.

I wonder how long it would take to set up a car ferry system.

[Anonymous]

It wound seem that this will have an effect on the availability and cost of all sorts of goods in this region.