Cleanup efforts in the Baltimore Harbor are expected to continue for weeks following the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday. People known to be on the bridge are still missing as of Saturday.
Here’s what we know about the catastrophe so far.
What was the Francis Scott Key Bridge?
Around 210 years ago, Francis Scott Key witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry near the site where the ruins of the bridge are now twisting out of the Patapsco River. He was inspired to write the “Star Spangled Banner” about it, and in the 1970s this new 1.6-mile bridge was named after him.
In the 1960s, the Baltimore Harbor tunnel had reached its capacity and plans for another roadway began taking shape.
Construction started on the Key Bridge in 1972 and the four-lane bridge first opened in 1977. It was the final link in the I-695, also known as the Baltimore Beltway. At the time it cost $60.3 million. Millions of vehicles traveled along the bridge before it tumbled into the river on Tuesday morning.
Why did the bridge collapse?
At approximately 1:30 a.m., a cargo ship called the Dali struck one of the bridge’s support columns and it collapsed within a minute.
“No one will ever forget the shocking images of a container vessel striking the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing its collapse and the tragic loss of six people,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
While the Council on Foreign Relations noted last year that the U.S. is dealing with an aging infrastructure problem that includes bridges, recent federal safety inspections of the Key Bridge found it to be in “fair” condition, according to CNN.
A Newsweek report said that 847,000 vehicles came through the port last year, citing Maryland state data.
“It ranked first in the nation in the import and export of automobiles, light trucks and construction materials. It is also ranked second in the country in the coal exports. In 2022, it was ranked sixth in coffee imports – around 120,000 tons valued at nearly $610 million,” said the outlet.
As the crew of the Sri Lanka-bound Dali headed towards the bridge they reported a power issue, according to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. The ship was chartered by Danish shipping company Maersk and operated by Synergy Marine Group, according to CBS News.
Per the outlet, an unclassified memo issued by CISA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said the ship reported losing propulsion.
“Two U.S. officials told CBS News multiple alarms rang out on the ship, alerting pilots and crew to an issue on board. The crew ran several system tests to attempt to remedy the loss of propulsion from the motor, but the tests proved unsuccessful. At that point, the ship’s pilots alerted the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Transit Authority,” said the report. Officials said the alert likely saved lives.
In addition to these efforts, the crew tried to deploy an anchor. By the time it struck the bridge, the more than 900-ft. long ship was traveling at 9 miles per hour, a rapid speed for that type of vessel, according to authorities.
NBC News said that several factors may have caused the ship to lose propulsion. One of them could be contaminated fuel.
“Fuel is one of the areas of inquiry for investigators probing the cause of the power failure that preceded the Dali crashing into and toppling the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore this week, according to federal safety investigators,” said the outlet. “Contaminated fuel is believed to cause scores of ships to lose power and propulsion every year, but the incidents rarely come to light, experts say. That’s because the ship malfunctions almost always occur in the open sea, where crews can deal with them without incident.”
The National Transportation Safety Board announced Wednesday that it would lead an investigation into the crash. It said it had “launched a go team to investigate.”
According to the NTSB, search and rescue efforts are ongoing at the site as a portion of the collapsed bridge remained across the vessel’s bow.
What else is being done?
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott issued an Executive Order May 26 declaring a State of Emergency for at least 30 days. Two days after the collapse, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced the immediate availability of $60 million in “quick release” Emergency Relief (ER) funds for the Maryland Department of Transportation to rebuild the bridge.
“These funds serve as a down payment toward initial costs, and additional Emergency Relief program funding will be made available as work continues,” said a press release. According to the Department of Transportation, all shipping traffic to Seagirt Marine Terminal at the Port of Baltimore was diverted elsewhere after the incident.
CNN reported that “the largest crane on the East Coast will soon try to lift the treacherous, colossal wreckage that has hampered search crews from finding victims of this week’s catastrophic Baltimore bridge collapse,” referring to the Chesapeake 1000. Although the crane is powerful, the position that the bridge and ship settled in make cleanup a challenge.
“Massive hunks of debris will have to be cut up before they are removed,” said CNN. “But crews will try to work quickly so they can resume their search for the missing victims and reopen a cargo channel critical to the local and national economies – a feat that officials say could take weeks.”
Even more heavy equipment is expected to show up at the harbor in the coming weeks.
President Joe Biden said that he plans to go to Baltimore next week to address the collapse.
What is the expected impact?
A supply chain expert cited by Newsweek said the pause in shipping at the port could lead to losses of $9 million per day.
“The Port of Baltimore is essential to the regional economy and national supply chains, and the I-695 corridor, of which the bridge was a part, provides a vital connection for people and goods traveling along the East Coast,” according to the Department of Transportation. “FHWA is actively coordinating with federal, state, and local officials in the region, including the Maryland Department of Transportation, the Maryland Transportation Authority, the City of Baltimore, U.S. Coast Guard, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and others to mitigate supply chain impacts, manage traffic, reopen the port, and ultimately rebuild the bridge.”
According to the Baltimore Banner, there are also lingering environmental concerns as debris and fuel remain in the river.
Even after the debris is cleared and business returns to normal, the nation will forever mourn the lives lost during the tragedy.
As of Saturday, only two out of six construction workers who are believed to have perished in the collapse have been recovered. Two of the eight construction workers who were on the bridge survived, said NBC News.
“All of the men were on a break in their cars when the boat hit. We don’t know if they were warned before the impact,” said the wife of Julio Cervantes, one of the men who survived. She considers it a miracle that he made it out alive since he doesn’t know how to swim.
CBS News identified the victims as: Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Miguel Luna, Maynor Suazo Sandoval, Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, Jose Mynor Lopez and a man named Carlos whose full name has not been released.