rapid baltimore bridge collapse The large cargo ship collision highlighted the importance bridges play in the daily lives of many Americans.
Six construction workers on the bridge are estimated to have died. Drivers of his more than 30,000 vehicles that cross the bridge each day must find new routes to bypass or cross the Patapsco River. Additionally, shipping at the Port of Baltimore will be suspended for some time, forcing many companies to find alternative ways to get goods in and out of the United States.
Baltimore’s Interstate 695 bridge was previously in satisfactory condition. Collision during deliveryThousands of other bridges across the United States stand in poor condition due to aging piers, beams, and key structural components.
Here we will introduce some points. Associated Press analysis More than 621,000 highway bridges over 20 feet in length and listed on the federal government’s National Bridge Inventory.
thousands of poor bridges
Inspectors rate bridges using a scale of 0 to 9, with a 7 or higher considered “good.” A “poor” rating reflects a rating of 4 or less for any part of the bridge’s major components. A moderate rating is considered “fair.”
According to the federal government, approximately 42,400 bridges in the United States are in poor condition and carry about 167 million vehicles each day. Those poor bridges are on average 70 years old.
Of those poor bridges, 4 out of 5 people have problems It consists of a substructure (legs that support the body) or a superstructure (load-bearing arms). And even 10 years ago, more than 15,800 bridges were listed as being in poor condition, according to an Associated Press analysis.
In Iowa, most poor bridges, followed by Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Missouri.
Why do bridges collapse?
Although unusual, the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was not the first bridge to collapse after being struck by a ship. From 1960 to 2015 35 major bridges collapse around the world A total of 342 people died in ship and barge collisions. According to a 2018 report From the World Water Transport Infrastructure Association. Of those, 18 of his collapses occurred in the United States.
Although rare, bad bridges can eventually collapse.
The bridge will be built in January 2022 Collapse at Fern Hollow Creek In Pittsburgh, occupants of several vehicles were injured, but no one was killed. Federal investigators decide The bridge’s steel legs were corroded and had visible holes, but inspectors were unable to calculate the severity of the problem and the city failed to follow repeated recommendations.
“This bridge didn’t just collapse due to an act of God. It collapsed because of a lack of maintenance and repair,” said National Transportation Safety Board Commissioner Michael Graham.
blow to the economy
When a bridge closes or collapses, there are economic consequences.
The accident killed 13 people and injured 145. Interstate 35 Bridge It collapsed in the Mississippi River in Minneapolis in 2007. condition analysis Minnesota’s economy is estimated to have lost $60 million in 2007-2008 due to increased travel time and operating costs for commuters and businesses.
Bridges in Providence, Rhode Island and Tacoma, Washington are currently closed due to safety concerns. Nearby businesses suffered as drivers were diverted to alternative routes.
Marco Pacheco, who owns a liquor store along the main road in East Providence’s Portuguese neighborhood, said his business income has dropped 20% since the bridge closed late last year. But he’s more concerned about the long-term effects.
“Traffic isn’t coming back right away. People have reshaped their patterns and thought processes and things like that,” Pacheco said.
Business owners in Washington shared similar concerns about the indefinite closure of the Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge in an industrial area near the Port of Tacoma. The nearby Interstate 5 bridge is a good alternative, but many drivers end up hopping off the exit ramp without thinking about nearby stores, such as the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Store.
“Is there a danger?” asked Harley-Davidson store owner Ed Wallace. “Yeah, definitely a very serious issue for me as a business owner.”
federal funding
Huge infrastructure law The bill, signed by President Joe Biden in 2021, directs $40 billion to bridges over five years, the largest dedicated investment in bridges in decades. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the legislation has already funded more than 7,800 bridge projects.
But that would only alleviate the estimated $319 billion in needed bridge repairs across the country, according to the National Highway Transportation Contractors Association.
“The bottom line is America’s bridges need a lot of work,” Buttigieg told The Associated Press after visiting the closed Rhode Island Bridge. He added: “The sooner we can address these critical bridges, the less likely they are to suddenly become unusable or, worse, at risk of collapse.”
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This article has been corrected to show that the bridge that collapsed in Baltimore was on Interstate 695, not Interstate 895.
