The Risks and Repair of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge

Who will pay for repairing the Francis Scott Key Bridge? Why was a collision previously considered "unlikely," and are other bridges at similar risk? It's the collapse nobody saw coming, as an economic lifeline in Baltimore became a deathtrap in seconds. Now the Port of Baltimore is blocked, cutting off a key economic engine for the U.S. East Coast.
Just over two weeks after the collapse, Marylanders are still in shock. How did the iconic Key Bridge come down? Could more have been done to save the lives of the six construction workers who died? How and when will it be rebuilt?
Scripps News hears from Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott about how the city plans to recover, investigates why a collision was previously deemed “unlikely” and explains how more bridges across the country are at risk from similar critical vulnerabilities.
photo: AP Photo/Matt Rourke
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[@scrippsnews]

What do YOU think?

[@jeffashcraft2388]

This government is using this disaster. " Rahm Emanuel, then chief of staff to President-elect Barack Obama, famously issued what has come to be known as Rahm's rule: “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that [is] it's an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before.”

[@Shipspotting_Vietnam]

Still have many things to do to get back to normal, at least we have a deadline now!

[@robertpearson8546]

Focus on the breaker trips the ship had while loading. Did the company decide to sail with the electrical system seriously overloaded? Why did the ship change course when the navigation system rebooted? Ask relevant questions!

[@jeffashcraft2388]

So why is the ship not the first thing removed.

[@theAverageJoe25]

There’s a giant 4000 ton bridge on it

[@jeffashcraft2388]

@@theAverageJoe25 then why are they concentrated on removing the bridge at the farthest point away from the ship? Wouldn't it have been smarter to start removing the bridge at the ship and not at the farthest point away from the ship?

[@daviwweston2566]

If you have been following it there is a submerged HV cable in the mud under the stern, and a gas main under the bow, and the ship is hard aground. They have to clear the weight off the bow to get it off the bottom. If they just tried to drag it out the bow would most likely shear off then you have a much bigger problem.

[@dinahphillips2136]

Why are we not building farm machinery in the United States?