Major bridge collapse in Baltimore

Yep, Skyway Bridge 2.0. Quick thoughts:

1. The captain and the pilots are never going to work again. And probably will spend time in prison as well.
2. How is there not a redundant propulsion/navigation system on a cargo vessel that large?
3. I have no idea how difficult it is to drop anchor at that speed and without electrical power, but I don't care if that tears a hole in the ship or scrapes up half of the channel, that has to be better than taking out an entire bridge.
4. Did the ship not alert harbor patrol of their dire situation via radio or text? The video shows a lot of time elapsed from the first outage, time that could have possibly allowed someone at the bridge to perhaps shut down vehicular traffic.
5. Looking at an overhead view, why where there not huge concrete pier fenders around the bridge supports? Whatever was there was completely insufficient to stop or deflect a vessel of that size.


A whole lot of terrible decisions that we'll come to learn in the days ahead. Tragic for the people who had no way of knowing what was about to happen. Prayers for their families.

 

Just waking up on the Left Coast to see video of the actual collapse. I've seen sturdier card houses.

 

Just read that MDOT had a repair crew on the bridge when it collapsed. I'm guessing that's where the "at least seven" figure is coming from.

 

Damn. Unbelievable.

I drive through Baltimore all the time. In fact, I drove through yesterday and had both kids with me. I always get nervous that one of the harbor tunnels will collapse while we’re in it. Never thought about any of the million bridges right in that area.

Hoping for the best. I can’t even imagine.

Also can’t imagine what this will do to traffic in what is already one of the busiest corridors on the East Coast.

 

The one I always thought would go is the Bay Bridge in Annapolis. That one looks like it's held up by chicken wire. My wife white-knuckles the entire time we drive over it en route to Ocean City.

But the Key Bridge just crumbled like a cookie.

 

Same ship involved in quay allision at Antwerp in 2016. No injuries then.

 

That's a dangerous one too. Recall USA Today golf writer Harry Blauvelt was killed after his car stalled and it was hit by a truck.

 

The Bay Bridge is also probably 200 feet higher above the water than this one was.

Plus the wind shears and the fact that there is no wiggle room at all on that thing.

 

I've just been informed that we'll be driving the length of Delaware the next time we visit OCMD.

 

We usually drive to Norfolk, VA once or twice a year and have to go over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Mi biggest fear is going into the water. It’s a different situation, as big ships head toward the tunnel part, but still.

 

One thing that I learned a few years back is that the headrest for your seat is designed for you to pull out and use the metal spikes to break open the window in case you are trapped.

 

We found some good deals at the outlet three years ago when we did that.