The Francis Scott Key Bridge — also called the Key Bridge — spanned across Baltimore’s Patapsco River and harbor — just 100 yards away from where scholars believe its namesake watched the bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814. At approximately 1:30am on March 26, a cargo ship named “Dali ” collided with one of its supports, causings its collapse moments later.
According to a WJZ-TV news report, the ship lost power twice shortly before its collision. Authorities have since found the remains of two men since the bridge’s collapse and four more are presumed dead. Two men, who were on the bridge when it collapsed, survived.
In the aftermath of this tragedy, several governmental and non-governmental organizations now move to understand what circumstances caused the incident and how to prevent similar tragedies in the future. While officials investigate and collect information for their reports, people and businesses in the Baltimore area also suffer practical difficulties in addition to mourning the loss of human life.
“The bridge collapse, causing the blockage of the Port of Baltimore, causes the major supply chain issue going forward.” said Omar Khan, a professor of marketing and international business at Morgan State University’s Earl Graves School of Business. “Baltimore has the ninth largest port in America so there are many, many industries and shipping firms that are directly and dramatically affected by the closure of the Port of Baltimore.”
The Port of Baltimore alone generated $400 million in tax income last year, said Khan. The Key Bridge collapse will likely mean that “less funds [will be] available for required expenditures around the city and the state.”
The Key Bridge was located approximately 10 miles south of Morgan State University’s campus and for many students, it was part of their daily commute.
Senior biology major Niya Ross said the bridge’s collapse may be especially traumatic as Maryland has several bridges and tunnels included in its infrastructure. According to her, the Key Bridge’s collapse may “scare the public” and traumatize them.
Oludare Owolabi is Morgan’s director of sustainable infrastructure development, smart Innovation and resilient engineering research as well as the director of the undergraduate geotechnical laboratory in the department of civil engineering.
“This bridge is very unique. It took about five years to construct,” Owolabi said. “It is also a 1.6-mile-long informative bridge structure. In height, the bridge is 185 feet tall and it carries about 31,000 vehicles daily. The span of the bridge is 1,200 feet long and the length of the bridge is 8,635 feet long.”
The Key Bridge, built in 1977, was named after the author of the “The Star Spangled Banner.” Baltimore officials constructed it to lessen traffic through the Fort McHenry tunnel and placed it on a portion of Interstate highway 695, outside of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
According to Khan, many large shipping companies will now need to travel along a different route than originally planned, which can exacerbate efficiency due to the bridge portion of a major highway being destroyed — that highway potentially being the most efficient route in some cases.
“The bridge cannot be rebuilt until all of the debris is out of the water,” said Gov. Wes Moore during a press conference on March 28.
The timeline for the investigation, debris removal and potential construction of a new bridge is uncertain but several state and federal officials expect this process may take years.
Vehicles are able to use Interstate highway 95, the Fort McHenry Tunnel, and Interstate highway 895, the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, as alternatives to the Key Bridge.
For all updates regarding the Key Bridge, visit: https://www.keybridgeresponse2024.com.
