Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore want to know how safe the bridges across major ports of entry in the United States truly are. The assessment comes in the wake of the deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore on March 26.
Engineering experts noted that the Baltimore bridge had minimal protection and had not been updated for decades. However, it’s still being debated whether or not added protections would have prevented the disaster.
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Federal investigators said that the Dali cargo ship that collided with the Baltimore bridge sailed right past a protective concrete piling before slamming into the bridge.
In a news release on Wednesday, May 29, the team of students and faculty stated that they are looking at whether other port bridges could face a similar fate as the one in Baltimore. Researchers want their findings to be used to prioritize the necessary investments in bridge infrastructure.
In an effort to find vulnerabilities in bridges, researchers will build models to see whether a collision with a large vessel could dismantle other bridges. Some engineering experts say that as ships have gotten much bigger, bridges in the U.S. have failed to adapt. The study by Johns Hopkins University aims to figure out what needs to change in terms of updating bridges for the 21st century.
The team of researchers will release their preliminary findings at the end of summer and a complete assessment will be finished in about a year.
Federal officials are also determining whether other critical bridges in the region needed added pier protection.
Meanwhile, a report released on Wednesday by the Maryland Chamber of Commerce revealed the economic impacts of the Baltimore bridge collapse and called for increased investment in infrastructure.
Plans to replace the Francis Scotty Key Bridge are underway. The total cost is expected to be in the range of $2 billion and is scheduled to be finished by 2028.
Cleanup crews have refloated the Dali involved in the crash in Baltimore. Officials say that they expect to have the main channel at the Port of Baltimore open by June 10.
