MDTA missed a critical assessment of vulnerability of key bridges before collapse, says NTSB star-news.press/wp

Failed to carry out a critical vulnerability assessment that would enable them to identify the previously known structural risks with the key bridge Francis Scott before being entered in the mace of 2024. Year, NTSB said on Thursday.

The NTSB said 30 owners 68 bridges In 19 states for the implementation of vulnerability assessment for determining the risk of falling bridge from crashes.

“We conclude in our report that has been evaluating a key bridge based on recent vessel design, would proactively identify strategies and loss related to the bridge crash,” said NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homondy.

NTSB says that the state has implemented these estimates based on recent shipping, MDTA would succeed in reducing the risk of collapse and loss. The assessment and calculation of vulnerability would also make the state aware that the bridge was above the American Association of State Highway and Transport Risk Risk Standards.

The Agency also says 30 bridge owners who act on the tens of bridges to the coast, are probably not aware of the risk of bridge to collide in the crash and should implement the countermeasers.

“Let’s sound an alarm from this tragedy,” Homondy said.

NTSB emphasizes that this assessment would not prevent collapse, but other safety measures could be established to avoid tragedy.

NTSB also issued emergency security measures, including the creation of an interdisciplinary team with the federal highway management, the US Army Corps and Coast Guidelines for Crash Provision Guidelines. It also says owners of bridges that have not completed the assessment should do so and provide data to NTSB. This will further prevention strategies.

The Agency announced more than 1,000 pages of investigative documents on Thursday, including interviews and the Factical Bridge Report.

NTSB says it will publish multiple reports in the coming weeks with the final report expected in the fall.

Safety recommendations have not been executed

According to NTSB, the U.S. Association of State Highway and Transportation issued security recommendations for the key bridge 1991. and 2009. years, but these recommendations were never performed.

“That the MDTA has spent an assessment based on the recent traffic vessel, MDTA could reduce the risk of collapse and loss of life,” Homondy said.

According to Homondy, Homondy says the risk level for a catastrophic collapse was almost 30 times higher than the acceptable levels of the key bridge, and 15 times higher, especially for the bridge that were a remote cargo ship.

Hodony said it was surprising that MDTA officials failed to conduct appropriate tests and data on navigable traffic.

“It’s something MDTA could know and she should have known,” she said.

What happened to the key bridge?

26. March 2024. Year, the container ship Dali lost its power before falling into the bridge, killing six construction workers who knocked in the Patapsco River.

The NTSB investigation into this point is focused on a A series of power failure on Dali As he left the port of Baltimore. The report revealed that the ship experienced four breeding in the range of less than 12, which left the ship incapable of maneuvering and avoiding the bridge.

NTSB initial report from collision Dali

The preliminary NTSB report outlined the events leading to a given key bridge.

The report discovered that if they initially lost power on 25. March 2024. Year, during the LPA maintenance, about 10 hours before the Luka Baltimore. Power vessels were renovated before the second was followed by darkening in the port, in accordance with the NTSB report.

The vessel is located with the Seagirt Marine Terminal in the Port of Baltimore shortly after 12:30 on the way to Colombo, Sri Lanka, carrying 4,680 containers.

The captain reported that the ship was in the “good working order”, and supported two tractors.

The ship then lost electricity and experienced another blackout. The main driving diesel engine automatically shuts down after the pumps lost electricity, which means that the boat’s propeller stopped.

Dali crew renewed electricity again.

The ship’s crew called for a tug assistance, and the higher pilot ordered the anchor to reject. Then the fourth darkening happened, according to the report.

A marine radio call was made to warn all the water traffic before the cargo ship crashed into the central Truss range of the key bridge around 1:29 in the morning

No assessment of the bridge of the bay?

Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Annapolis was among the 68 bridged bridges In the NTSB report, which was said to have an estimate of vulnerability. NTSB says that MDTA has yet to be performed to assess vulnerability and calculation on this bridge, which has a similar traffic vessel on the key bridge.

At the last check, in October 2024. years, MDTA said there were no immediate plans to assess the Bay Bridge.

“As for the existing bridge, we know they didn’t do that,” Homondy said. “This vulnerability assessment lasts a long time. There is no reason why they shouldn’t do it before. It should take urgent security recommendation to take action and expect it to do so now.”

The US Engineer’s Army Issuing a Renewal License

Earlier this month, American military corpus engineer He issued his permitted decisions approved by the Maryland Transport (MDTA) authority permit to renew the key bridge.

Some of the permits include certain parameters for throwing in water, modifications and discharging of any dled or filling of the material.

Construction of the water bridge, which will connect the I-695 Baltimore Beltway, is expected to start in the fall 2024, but it will require a similar verification of the permit from the American coast guard.

It is published that the restoration will be completed in 2028. Years. Kiewit infrastructure estimated that the project will cost about $ 2 billion.

“Less than a year after the catastrophic collapse of the Francis Bridge Francis Scott, the District of Baltimore is proud to provide fair and efficient efforts that allow the construction of a new bridge,” Commander District Baltimore Pus. Col. Francis Pera said. “In order to remove the wreck of the bridge and issue relevant permits for their reconstruction on this schedule is the Testament to our dedicated regulatory branch and our mission to support the energy economy through the middle of the Atlantic.”

About two months, MDTA works on Preconstruction activities About the Bridge Key Francis Scott, which includes collecting data on the trough and soil sampling.

MDTA authorizes construction contracts

In February 2025. year, MDTA authorized three contracts for key bridge renovation, which are for the management of construction management and inspection services worth 20 million dollars.

The approved public works committee approved contracts with Greenman-Pederson, Inc./ganett Fleming, Inc.; Michael Baker International, Inc./Stv, Inc.; and AECOM Technical Services, Inc.

Consulting teams will monitor various aspects of renovation, including construction reviews, erosion control inspection, traffic maintenance, material testing and material scheduling. They will work with the MDTA General Advisor and Kiewit Infrastructure Co., the project project builder.

Key Design Bridge

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and MDTA presented the design For a new key bridge. The latest construction will visually mimic the original architecture of the bridge while it has structural improvements.

The plans for a new key bridge reveal significant changes in the shift of larger vessels, with a shipping channel that spreads from 700 to 1,000 feet under the desk of staying in the cable.

Cleaning the bridge will increase by 45 feet, reaching a height of 230 feet above the water, to allow for larger ship traffic.

How will the bridge be financed?

After the collapse, former President Joe Biden said that the Federal Government would push to pay the bridge reconstruction costs, later approves $ 60 million in the River Refund of Patapsco.

In November 2024. year, the money for renovation included UA 100 billion US funds sent to Congress.

In December 2024. years, legislators announced it Federal financing covered full reconstruction costs.