NTSB wants to determine risk of collapse for 68 bridges over 19 states

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Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Shianne DeLeon (Video Editor)

The NTSB wants to find out the risk of collapse for nearly 70 bridges over 19 states in the event of a ship collision, similar to last year’s deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge incident in Baltimore. Over the past year, the NTSB found 68 bridges built before 1991 that have not undergone a “current vulnerability assessment,” according to the report on Thursday.
Some notable bridges in the report include the Golden Gate Bridge in California, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida.
The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District responded to the report on Thursday, saying it is “in full compliance with all state and federal regulations.”

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is calling for nearly 70 bridges across 19 states to be given a “vulnerability assessment” to find out their risk of collapse if involved in a ship collision similar to last year’s deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge incident in Baltimore.

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Over the past year, the NTSB found 68 bridges built before 1991 that have not undergone a “current vulnerability assessment,” according to its report on Thursday, March 20.

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The agency’s recommendations were shared with 30 owners of the 68 bridges in question.

Which bridges made the report?

Some notable bridges in the report include the Golden Gate Bridge in California, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida.

The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District responded to the report on Thursday, saying it is “in full compliance with all state and federal regulations,” and noted that it hired a consultant this year to perform “an assessment of the south tower fender’s system’s structural capacity for ship collisions.”

What do the findings mean?

The NTSB points out that its recommendation does not mean the 68 bridges are expected to collapse, and the ask is to have bridge owners determine whether the structures are above federal regulations when it comes to acceptable risk of collapse.

The bridges were separated into two classifications, “critical/essential” and “typical,” in the report.

What is the bigger picture?

The report was released nearly a year after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, in which a cargo ship lost power, causing it to crash into the bridge, killing six workers who were filling potholes on it at the time.

The findings come as the NTSB revealed the Baltimore bridge’s “acceptable risk” was nearly 30 times greater than federal regulations recommend for critical and essential bridges.

Tags: Baltimore Bridge Collapse, Bridges and Structures Bureau, Death, Francis Scott Key Bridge, Infrastructure, Investigation, National Transportation Safety Board

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD IS CALLING FOR A “VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT” ON NEARLY 70 BRIDGES ACROSS 19 STATES TO FIND OUT THEIR RISK OF COLLAPSE IF INVOLVED IN A SHIP COLLISION SIMILAR TO LAST YEAR’S DEADLY INCIDENT AT THE FRANCIS SCOTT KEY BRIDGE IN BALTIMORE.

OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE N-T-S-B FOUND 68 BRIDGES BUILT BEFORE 1991 THAT HAVE NOT UNDERGONE A “CURRENT VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT.”

THE AGENCY’S RECOMMENDATIONS THURSDAY WERE SHARED WITH 30 OWNERS OF THE 68 BRIDGES.

SOME NOTABLE BRIDGES IN THE REPORT, INCLUDE THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE IN CALIFORNIA, THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE IN NEW YORK AND SUNSHINE SKYWAY BRIDGE IN FLORIDA.

THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE, HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT RESPONDED TO THE FINDINGS SAYING IT IS “IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH ALL STATE AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS,” AND NOTED, IT HIRED A CONSULTANT THIS YEAR TO PERFORM “AN ASSESSMENT OF THE SOUTH TOWER FENDER SYSTEM’S STRUCTURAL CAPACITY FOR SHIP COLLISIONS.”

THE N-T-S-B POINTS OUT ITS RECOMMENDATION DOES NOT MEAN THE 68 BRIDGES ARE EXPECTED TO COLLAPSE, RATHER THE ASK IS TO HAVE BRIDGE OWNERS DETERMINE WHETHER THE STRUCTURES ARE ABOVE FEDERAL REGULATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO ACCEPTABLE RISK OF COLLAPSE.

THE BRIDGES WERE SEPARATED INTO TWO CLASSIFICATIONS, “CRITICAL/ESSENTIAL” AND “TYPICAL” IN THE REPORT.

THOSE CONSIDERED CRITICAL/ESSENTIAL ARE “IMPORTANT LINKS” TO TRAVEL AND TRADE.

THE REPORT WAS RELEASED NEARLY A YEAR AFTER THE KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSE IN WHICH A CARGO SHIP LOST POWER AND CRASHED INTO THE BRIDGE, KILLING SIX CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WHO WERE FIXING POTHOLES ON IT AT THE TIME.

THE FINDINGS COME AS THE N-T-S-B REVEALED THE BALTIMORE BRIDGE’S “ACCEPTABLE RISK” WAS NEARLY 30 TIMES GREATER THAN FEDERAL REGULATIONS RECOMMEND FOR CRITICAL/ESSENTIAL BRIDGES.

THE NTSB SAID THE FINAL REPORT ON THE KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSE WOULD BE RELEASED THIS FALL.

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Bias Summary

The National Transportation Safety Board issued safety recommendations for 68 bridges across 19 states, urging owners to assess their vulnerability after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse that killed six workers.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy stated that the Maryland Transportation Authority failed to conduct proper risk assessments, which could have prevented the collapse.
The NTSB's report indicated that the Key Bridge was nearly 30 times over the acceptable risk level for a vessel collision.
Officials noted that recommendations were made due to rising ship traffic on the Mississippi River, but responses from Louisiana authorities are currently unclear.

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Bias Comparison

Media outlets on the left emphasized the systemic “risk” necessitating bridge evaluations, highlighting the increased size of cargo ships compared to when the bridges were built and citing structural engineering flaws, such as the inadequate placement of safety pilings, using terms like “slammed” to describe the collision.

Media outlets in the center focused on factual information, such as the timeline for the replacement bridge and the number of bridges impacted, and used terms like “deadly” to describe the bridge collapse.

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