Baltimore ‘Francis Scott Key’ bridge collapses after a large
container ship collided with it at 1:27 a.m. Tuesday morning
by Kevin Dayhoff 3:42 a.m. March 26, 2024
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday morning, March 26, 2024, after it was struck by a large ship.
WTOP news is reporting that “it was a container ship flying under a Singapore flag that crashed into the bridge. The vessel, called “Dali,” was headed through Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka, as its final destination, according to Marine Traffic and Vessel Finder maps and data.”
All traffic is being detoured, said Maryland Transportation Authority and it’s unclear if anyone was injured. Although multiple media reports indicate there was traffic on the bridge at the time of the collapse.
“The 1.6-mile, 4-lane bridge extends over the Patapsco River,” reports CNN. (It) serves as the outermost crossing of the Baltimore harbor and an essential link of Interstate-695, or the Baltimore Beltway.
“Its namesake, Francis Scott Key, is believed to have sat near the site of the bridge as he witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814, inspiring him to write the words of the ‘Star Spangled Banner.’”
According to a Facebook story by the “Thomas Stone National Historic Site,” “On March 23, 1977, the four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge opened to traffic and is named for the author of the Star-Spangled Banner. The 1.6-mile bridge extended across the Baltimore Harbor and connected Sollers Point in Baltimore County with Hawkins Point in Baltimore City. This was also the final link in establishing the 52-mile Baltimore Beltway (Interstate 695.)
"By the early 1960s, the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel (Interstate 895), the first crossing of Baltimore's Harbor, had reached its traffic capacity, and motorists encountered heavy congestion and delays almost daily during rush hours. The State Roads Commission, predecessor of the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA,) concluded there was a need for a second harbor crossing.
"Construction on the Francis Scott Key Bridge began in 1972. Including its connecting approaches, the bridge project was 10.9 miles in length. Other structures along the thruway include a .64-mile dual-span drawbridge over Curtis Creek and two .74-mile parallel bridge structures that carry traffic over Bear Creek, near Bethlehem Steel's Sparrows Point plant."
This is a developing story – check back for updates.
https://patch.com/maryland/westminster/baltimore-francis-scott-key-bridge-collapses
