The Key Bridge in Baltimore has once again made headlines after a massive cargo ship lost control and slammed into the structure on Tuesday. Surprisingly, this is not the first time the bridge has been hit by a wayward vessel. In 1980, a container ship named the Blue Nagoya also collided with the Key Bridge after losing control.
The Blue Nagoya, which was traveling at about six knots, managed to damage some protective concrete on the bridge but did not cause it to collapse. However, the recent incident involving the cargo ship Dali, which was traveling at just under seven knots, resulted in the bridge collapsing.
Structural engineers are still investigating the cause of the collapse, but many believe that the sheer size and weight of modern cargo vessels pose a greater threat to bridges than in the past. The Dali, weighing 95,000 tons, had no protective barriers to prevent it from crashing into the bridge’s piers.
Experts in the industry have pointed out that impact protection devices have been common since a similar incident in Tampa Bay in 1980, but the Key Bridge, built in 1977, did not have such measures in place. As vessels continue to increase in size and weight, lessons must be learned to better protect bridge support structures from shipping traffic.
The investigation into the Key Bridge collapse is ongoing, and it may be years before the full story is revealed. In the meantime, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers posed by large cargo ships to critical infrastructure.
