Overview

• A cargo ship collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland caused a significant collapse, underscoring the vulnerability of many U.S. bridges to such incidents.
• Despite advancements in bridge protection since the 1980s, a majority of U.S. bridges allowing ship passage lack sufficient impact protection, including the recently collapsed Key Bridge.
• The cleanup and recovery efforts for the Key Bridge collapse are extensive, involving a large flotilla and posing challenges in debris removal and economic impact on the Port of Baltimore.
• The disaster has prompted discussions on the need for updated protections for older bridges and the potential financial and legal implications of such catastrophic events.
• Engineers and officials are reevaluating bridge safety measures in light of modern cargo ships' sizes, which have significantly increased over the past two decades, posing new risks to bridge infrastructure.