NTSB Urges Safety Overhaul for U.S. Bridges Following Key Bridge Collapse

A year after Baltimore's Key Bridge disaster, federal investigators call for immediate risk assessments of 68 vulnerable bridges nationwide.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed in March 2024 after the cargo ship Dali lost power and struck a support pier, killing six construction workers.
The Maryland Transportation Authority failed to perform a vulnerability assessment, which would have revealed the bridge was 30 times above the acceptable risk threshold for collapse.
The NTSB has identified 68 bridges across 19 states that lack current vulnerability assessments and has recommended immediate evaluations and risk mitigation plans.
Investigators found that the Dali's electrical failures, caused by negligence in maintenance, played a key role in the collision; its owners settled for $100 million in October 2024.
Reconstruction of the Key Bridge, funded by $1.7 billion in federal support, is underway and expected to be completed by 2028.