Baltimore bridge hit by container ship, major collapse

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A view of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after it collapsed, in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., in this picture released on March 26, 2024.

Baltimore Bridge Hit By Ship – Major Collapse

BloombergTotal Views: 67
March 26, 2024

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The most severe US bridge collision since the Tampa Skyway Bridge disaster in 1980 happened in the early hours of the morning while the ship was under pilotage. Here are the details we have so far.
By Katrina Nicholas (Bloomberg)

A major commuter bridge in Baltimore collapsed after being rammed by a container ship, causing vehicles to plunge into the water and threatening chaos at one of the most important ports on the US East Coast.

The Maryland Transportation Authority issued an

https://twitter.com/x/status/1772524001815920876

telling drivers not to use Interstate 695. Kevin Cartwright of the Baltimore City Fire Department described it as “a mass casualty, multi-agency incident” in an audio interview with CNN, adding as many as 20 people could be in the water.

The disaster at the Francis Scott Key Bridge happened early Tuesday. It’s likely to cause huge disruption — both for shipping at one of the busiest ports on the US East Coast and on the roads — now that a key link has been severed on the major highway encircling Baltimore.
https://gcaptain.com/baltimore-bridge-hit-by-ship-major-collapse/

 

[Bigdog]

The bridge is about 15 minutes from where I live.

Looks like the ship had engine trouble and could not steer.

The bridge wreckage has blocked shipping to the Harbor. This could cause major supply chain interruptions for weeks or months.

 

[TOP]

Such a incredible tragedy...rescue is going be so difficult... Prayers that they're able to find survivors...

 

[TOP]

The bridge is about 15 minutes from where I live.

Looks like the ship had engine trouble and could not steer.

The bridge wreckage has blocked shipping to the Harbor. This could cause major supply chain interruptions for weeks or months.

The pictures are devastating.... Unbelievable how the bridge could completely collapse like that...so sad...

 

[Bigdog]

The pictures are devastating.... Unbelievable how the bridge could completely collapse like that...so sad...

So far, there may have between 7 and 20 lives lost on the bridge. We don't know.

Given that cargo ships can weigh 200k tons, and it rammed a support column, the complete collapse was just a matter of physics and engineering. Bridges are not designed to withstand lateral impacts.

The ship was manned by a Bay pilot as required at that point, maybe even 2. It has been suggested that a Tug escort could have prevented the incident. But that is not SOP.

 

[TOP]

So far, there may have between 7 and 20 lives lost on the bridge. We don't know.

Given that cargo ships can weigh 200k tons, and it rammed a support column, the complete collapse was just a matter of physics and engineering. Bridges are not designed to withstand lateral impacts.

The ship was manned by a Bay pilot as required at that point, maybe even 2. It has been suggested that a Tug escort could have prevented the incident. But that is not SOP.

Thank you for the update and the technical information... It sounds like They have a tremendous amount of resource to rescue available... With daylight hopefully it will be a bit easier... that water is so cold....

 

[Althea]

The ship was manned by a Bay pilot as required at that point, maybe even 2. It has been suggested that a Tug escort could have prevented the incident. But that is not SOP.

Now that the horse is out of the barn, it probably will be SOP in the future

 

[Bigdog]

Before pic.

It's a big bridge.

 

[Nomad]

The bridge is about 15 minutes from where I live.

Looks like the ship had engine trouble and could not steer.

The bridge wreckage has blocked shipping to the Harbor. This could cause major supply chain interruptions for weeks or months.

The question will then be about how you will blame it on Biden.

 

[martin]

The question will then be about how you will blame it on Biden.

That fucking George Soros,

 

[Nomad]

That fucking George Soros,

Bridges in Democrat run cities.

 

[Jarod]

The pictures are devastating.... Unbelievable how the bridge could completely collapse like that...so sad...

When I was young, the Skyway Bridge spanning Tampa Bay had the same thing happen. A school bus went over.. They rebuilt it with technology to make this MUCH less likely to happen. Bumpers in front of the pillars to prevent ships from hitting, they would hit the bumper first.

This was avoidable, with the proper funding.

I was afraid to drive over bridges the rest of my childhood. I still get the creeps driving over the new Skyway.

 

[Callinectes]

If you watch the footage, you can see all the topside lights on the ship go out for a few seconds just before it hits the bridge. A ship that large has at least 2 huge SSGs (Ship Service Generators) that provide electricity to the systems. The main propulsion engines and steering gear are controlled by electrically operated hydraulic pumps. You can also see thick black smoke from the stack, which indicates the ship threw the engines in reverse (futilely, because it takes a ship that size at least a mile to slow down, and farther to stop).

My theory is, they tripped the circuit breakers for the steering gear and tried to shift the load to the standby SSG, but that takes a while. Time they did not have. It also depends on the wind, current and speed of the vessel. People may speculate that she was going too fast, but a ship has to have water moving past the rudders at a certain speed or it gets very sluggish and won't respond to the helm.

A tragedy and an economic punch in the gut for Baltimore. I grew up 11 miles from that bridge.

 

[Nomad]

 

[Geeko Sportivo]

I think the state made a wrong decision in building the span bridge instead of building a simple tunnel like the Hampton tunnel.

Now they can correct the problem and do it the right way, like it should have been done in the first place.

My dad always taught me to do it right the first time, and that way you don't have to go back and do it all over again. Thanks Dad! [Geeko Sportivo]

 

[Text Drivers are Killers]

This is another DIE hiring failure. It will be blamed on a white man but the culprit was some illiterate 4'8" black coke-head female. Happens every day.

 

[Nomad]

Hopefully, in terms of the amount of repair time required for reopening, the pylons will not be too damaged to reuse.

From the before and after closeups....

....it looks like there's no serious structural damage to them.

Of course, there could be inner damage in the form of hairline cracks that might make it impossible to just build a new upper structure on top of them.

And then of course, is the possible issue of age, which might make everything else moot.

 

[Text Drivers are Killers]

Hopefully, in terms of the amount of repair time required for reopening, the pylons will not be too damaged to reuse.

From the before and after closeups....

....it looks like there's no serious structural damage to them.

Of course, there could be inner damage in the form of hairline cracks that might make it impossible to just build a new upper structure on top of them.

And then of course, is the possible issue of age, which might make everything else moot.

You stupid jackass. This is baltimore. Maybe it could be fixed in a month, but baltimore is black-run and this will take 20 years. The black civil engineers in this city can't even read or do 3rd grade arithmetic.

 

[cawacko]

I was in high school when the Cypress Freeway collapsed in Oakland during our big earthquake. Scary stuff. Prayers out to Baltimore.

 

[Althea]

The question will then be about how you will blame it on Biden.

The same ship crashed in a different port in '16.

I'm thinking Sailor was drinking again.