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March 26, 2024
Baltimore Bridge Collapse: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
At about 1:30 a.m. on March 26, 2024, the MV Dali, a
lost engine power. Reportedly, two Baltimore harbor pilots
container ship departing the Port of Baltimore, struck a
were aboard the ship; harbor pilots navigate ships in and out
support tower of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore,
of harbors because they have expertise with local
MD, causing the bridge to collapse into the Patapsco River.
navigation conditions. Even when harbor pilots are at the
The bridge is a segment of Interstate 695—Baltimore’s
helm, the captain of the ship and the shipping line (Maersk)
beltway—and spans over the Patapsco shipping channel
remain responsible for the safety of the vessel. Tugs
into the harbor.
typically assist in moving ships into and out of their berths
(docking and undocking), and some tugs escort ships
A pothole repair crew was on the bridge at the time of the
through harbors as an emergency safety measure.
collision. There were 22 crew members aboard the ship, but
Reportedly, this ship released the tugs before reaching the
none sustained death or injury. Seven submerged vehicles
bridge as is normal in the harbor.
have been identified thus far, but more are possible. There
have been no reports of oil spills from the ship.
How Will Port Traffic Be Affected?
The Port of Baltimore was the 17th busiest port by total
Who Is Conducting Search and Rescue
tonnage in the United States in 2021, the most recent year
Operations?
for which data are available. It was the 10th busiest by dry
As of the afternoon of March 26, 2024, a search and rescue
bulk tonnage and the 15th busiest container port in TEUs.
operation is underway for people who were traveling over
According to the Maryland Port Administration, the port
and working on the bridge when it collapsed. The U.S.
ranks first among the nation’s ports for autos and light truck
Coast Guard is the primary federal agency that conducts
volume, roll on/roll off farm and construction machinery,
maritime search and rescue operations; it does so in
and imported gypsum. It is also responsible for nearly $3.3
conjunction with state and local authorities. A key federal
billion in personal wages and salaries, $2.6 billion in
official in charge is the local Coast Guard Captain of the
business revenue, and nearly $400 million in state and local
Port for Maryland-National Capital Region.
tax revenue annually.
Who Owns and Controls the Ship?
Containers currently at the port awaiting export could be
The Dali is being chartered (leased) by Maersk, a Danish
moved to other ports by truck or rail; one of the Port of
shipping firm that provides container shipping services
Baltimore’s two container terminals is served by on-dock
worldwide in addition to other types of shipping. The ship
rail access. Dry bulk—such as coal, the largest commodity
is managed by the Synergy Group and owned by Grace
by volume handled by the port—and roll on/roll off may be
Ocean Private Ltd., both based in Singapore. The ship’s
more difficult to move through other ports, as specialized
crew are from India. It is flagged and homeported in
facilities are needed for loading and unloading. The closest
Singapore and was “classed” (meaning certified as meeting
large ports to Baltimore are Wilmington, DE, Philadelphia,
construction and maintenance standards) by a Japanese
PA, and Camden, NJ, all of which may be accessed via the
firm, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (Class NK). The multitude of
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal provided the vessels have
nationalities involved in operating and administering the
a shallow enough draft. Another nearby port, not draft
ship is typical of the industry.
restricted, is the port of Norfolk near the entrance to
Chesapeake Bay.
The ship was built in 2015 by Hyundai Heavy Industries in
South Korea (IMO identification number 9697428). It is
Currently, commercial vessels are unable to enter or exit the
almost 950 feet in length and about 160 feet in breadth with
Port of Baltimore. Also, the U.S. Coast Guard shipyard at
a capacity to carry 10,000 TEUs of containers (a TEU is a
Hawkins Point is upriver from the bridge, and six vessels of
20-foot container). It could be considered an average-sized
the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Ready Reserve
container ship today but would be considered a large ship
Force (available to provide surge sealift capacity to the
compared with the fleet in the late 1970s when the bridge
Department of Defense, if needed) were berthed in
was built. The ship had sailed from Asia through the
Baltimore as of January 2024 and presumably are currently
Panama Canal and had called at Norfolk and New York
unable to exit the port.
before its Baltimore port call. When it struck the bridge, the
ship was departing Baltimore for Sri Lanka.
How Much Traffic Did the Key Bridge
Handle?
How Do Ships Navigate Through
The Key Bridge first opened to traffic in 1977, spanning the
Harbors?
Patapsco River connecting Interstate 695 on the
A preliminary report stated that the ship lost power twice as
southeastern side of Baltimore (See Figure 1). It had annual
it was approaching the bridge, meaning the ship may have
average daily traffic of 33,195 vehicles in 2022 and an
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Baltimore Bridge Collapse: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
annual average weekday traffic of 38,014 vehicles. It was
Tampa, FL, causing a large portion of the bridge span to
less heavily used than the Fort McHenry and Baltimore
collapse and resulting in 35 fatalities. Federal investigators
Harbor Tunnels running under the Patapsco River further
concluded that the probable cause of the collision was
north. While part of the Interstate Highway System, it is not
unexpectedly sudden and severe weather. Because only one
part of the federally designated Primary Highway Freight
of two parallel spans collapsed, traffic could resume at
System.
reduced capacity on the remaining span until a replacement
bridge was completed in 1987. Other bridges have
Highway traffic could be rerouted through the Baltimore
collapsed leading to disruptions in maritime and highway
Harbor or Fort McHenry Tunnels or on Interstate 695 to the
transportation as well.
north of Baltimore City. Some larger vehicles, including all
double-trailers, and most shipments of hazardous materials
What Actions Can the Federal
are not permitted in the tunnels, and trucks are not allowed
Government Take?
through the Baltimore Harbor tunnel. See Figure 1 for a
The U.S. Coast Guard shares responsibilities with the
map of transportation facilities around Baltimore.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to
investigate major safety incidents. Under the NTSB’s
Figure 1. Map of Baltimore Transportation Facilities
governing statutes and regulations, the agency shall
investigate any “major marine casualty,” defined as one that
results in the loss of six or more lives, the loss of a vessel
larger than 100 gross tons, property damage initially
estimated as at least $0.5 million, or a release of hazardous
materials deemed to be a serious threat. The U.S. Coast
Guard is directed to conduct a preliminary investigation to
determine whether a major marine casualty event has
occurred and notify the NTSB accordingly. The NTSB
report for the Florida Skyway Bridge Collapse was
published 11 months after the incident occurred, and the
collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge near Pittsburgh in 2022
took two years for the agency to fully investigate.
In other bridge collapses, such as the 2007 I-35 collapse in
Minneapolis, state and federal highway departments led the
removal and cleanup from the federal navigation channel.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is prepared to provide
Source: Created by CRS using data from the U.S. Census Bureau
survey capabilities and has some local debris removal
and ESRI.
capabilities, as well as contract capability if requested and
Notes: The Fort McHenry Tunnel and Baltimore Harbor Tunnel are
needed.
marked in brown on the map, and the location of the Key Bridge is
marked in red. The Key Bridge location is in line with the
John Frittelli, Specialist in Transportation Policy
southeastern edge of Interstate 695.
Ben Goldman, Analyst in Transportation Policy
Has Anything Like This Happened
IF12619
Before?
In May 1980, the bulk freighter MV Summit Venture struck
a support column of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in
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Baltimore Bridge Collapse: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Disclaimer
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