About an hour after midnight settled in on March 26th, the U.S Coast Guard received the initial report of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland. Only moments before, the Singapore-flagged shipping vessel Dali was experiencing a few issues such as black smoke that had begun to rise into the air and flickering lights on the ship – it was the second vessel to hit the historical bridge. At around 1:27AM, Dali began to steer towards one of the bridge’s pylons, the vertical structures that support the bridge. Soon after, the roads closed, and the bridge collapsed. 

The history of the bridge dates back to 1814, when the “Star Spangled Banner” was written, as the bridge was named after Francis Scott Key, who wrote the national anthem. Scholars believe the bridge was built near the site where Key saw the failed British bombing of Fort McHenry. The unsuccessful bombing eventually led the American civilians to prevail in the War of 1812. Before the collapse, with over 11.3 million vehicles each year and 30,000 commuters a day, the Francis Scott Key Bridge was part of most Baltimoreans’ commute to places on the other side of the Patapsco River. The bridge stood as the furthest toll bridge from the mainland, and was the only bridge that was not underground in the area. The full five-year process to build the Key Bridge cost about $110 million dollars and connected two sections of I-695. 

The recent collision was not the first in the Key Bridge’s history. In 1960, the bridge was hit by a vessel. Although the bridge did not incur any direct damage, the vessel destroyed the protective concrete structure outlining the bridge. Engineers believe the bridge collapse could have been avoided if the Key Bridge had fenders, blocking devices kept under the bridge to keep vessels from damaging the bridge. Due to its immense size, the bridge collapsing was a surprise for several engineers.

The collapse of the Key Bridge has not only impacted the families of the six people who have died, but also the city as a whole. Now, families that live by the port have to deal with a barricade of debris and wreckage from the bridge. In the upcoming months, the bridge collapse could negatively impact employment and poverty levels, as businesses will now experience delays due to transportation – especially the transportation of goods. Annually, over 47 million tons of goods are traded from the port, but now with the bridge gone, marine access to the Port of Baltimore is limited. At the moment, only smaller vessels may pass through the channel, but the U.S Army Corps of Engineers plans to enlarge the channel for larger ships to access the port. As efforts continue to open the port, the families of the six individuals who died as they fell into the water as the bridge collapsed, are in sorrow. Of the six, only five of the bodies have been recovered. 

By the fall of 2028, the state of Maryland hopes to have completed the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, an effort that is estimated to cost between $1.7 and $1.9 billion dollars. Although the engineering specifications have not been confirmed, the efforts to salvage the bridge and help the families of the roadwork crew continue.

Information retrieved from The New York Times, Reuters, CBS News, and The Associated Press.