COVINGTON, Ky. — Six people are still missing after the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed overnight.
The collapse was caught on video early Tuesday morning after a nearly 1,000-foot-long cargo ship crashed into it. Authorities in Maryland said the container ship lost power and rammed into the bridge, sending vehicles plunging into the water.
Rescue teams pulled two people from the river after the collapse. One of them is in serious condition. President Joe Biden called the crash a "terrible accident."
"My secretary of transportation is on the scene ... we're going to rebuild that port together," Biden said.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge is considered a vital connection for part of I-695 and a key hub for shipping on the east coast. Biden said he and his administration are working to get the port up and running as soon as possible.
The Ohio River also serves as a key transportation channel for coal and grain for the entire country. However, the U.S. Coast Guard said comparing the two is apples to oranges. The main reason is the Greater Cincinnati area is inland and does not get the type of traffic that the Port of Baltimore gets every day.
WCPO asked U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Steven Leighty if a disaster like the bridge collapse in Baltimore could happen in the Tri-State.
"I mean never say never," Leighty said. "But I will just say that the Coast Guard is doing everything they can to prevent that."
In October 2019, a vessel carrying 15 barges crashed into the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club.The Coast Guard concluded the crew member on watch on that barge fell asleep at the controls. The crash destroyed the club and authorities closed the river.
"We've had instances that vessels have contacted bridge pillars but not to the level of catastrophe," Leighty said.
In January 2020, a coal barge hit the I-275 Carroll Lee Cropper Bridge between Boone County and southeastern Indiana. Authorities said it didn't cause any structural damage. Months later in May, a barge hit the Norfolk Southern Bridge in Ludlow, which happened to be the same company that hit the Yacht Club five months prior.
"We have a robust inspection program, it inspects not only the barges but the two boats pushing the barges up and down the river they get inspections at least annually," Leighty said.
Leighty said inspections provide that first set of checks and balances when it comes to safety on the water. If a vessel hits a bridge in the Tri-State, the Coast Guard has to contact the owners of the bridge, which in most cases, is the state of Kentucky.
WCPO asked the Kentucky Department of Transportation Cabinet about safety and bridge inspections in case of a situation like Baltimore. It released a statement to WCPO 9 News Tuesday saying:
"The devastating incident in Baltimore highlights the worst fear of travelers and our hearts go out to all those impacted by the tragedy. Safety is the foundation of everything we do to keep Kentuckians safe— from bridges and overpasses, to highways and guardrails. When designing and maintaining bridges, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet engineers work to anticipate all circumstances that can impact the integrity and safety of our structures. While our rivers and waterways carry barges and ships, they are not comparable to the size of an international cargo ship, and a similar incident is less likely to occur in our waterways. The cargo ship size in the Baltimore incident can weigh as much as 95,000 tons – 30 times larger than the largest barges on our rivers, which are 3,000 tons and most commonly 1,500 tons. Also, barges are not as tall as cargo ships.
The Transportation Cabinet prioritizes bridge safety and take a rigorous approach to regularly inspect the more than 14,000 state and county owned bridges. They are inspected at least every two years, and in some cases yearly, depending on age, condition and design to ensure they are structurally sound. If damage or deterioration is identified, bridges are closed out of an abundance of caution to allow engineers time to inspect the structural elements and perform engineering studies to make sure the bridge is safe for travelers. Only after this thorough inspection process is complete and any necessary repairs made is a damaged structure reopened.
If a strike should occur, our engineers take an abundance of caution. We inspect every critical element of a bridge before allowing workers or traffic to return to the bridge. In developing newer bridges on navigable waterways, designers ensure piers are protected and are in locations away from navigational channels. Designers also design piers and pier protection to survive impacts from the largest vessels using those waterways."
In a different circumstance, authorities closed the Brent Spence Bridge in November 2020 after two semis collided and caused a fire on the bridge. It was not re-opened until December 22 because crews had to make repairs and do inspections to ensure it was once again safe.
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