NTSB Identifies 68 Bridges For Risk Evaluations Following Baltimore Tragedy—See Full List

The Dali container ship struck a support column of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing its total collapse in March 2024 — AFP

The National Transportation Safety Board on Thursday called for a "vulnerability assessment" of 68 bridges across 19 U.S. states to assess their risk of collapse if struck by a vessel. This recommendation comes in the wake of the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore last year.

Over the past year, the NTSB identified 68 bridges, built before 1991, that lack a "current vulnerability assessment." On Thursday, officials revealed that they have issued recommendations to 30 owners of these bridges nationwide, CBS News reported.

Some of the notable bridges on the list include the Golden Gate Bridge in California, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida.

Reacting to the NTSB's recommendation, the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District stated that the Golden Gate Bridge fully complies with all state and federal regulations and that the district hired a consultant this year to "conduct an assessment of the South Tower fender system's structural capacity for ship collisions."

Bridge Safety Review: Categorization and Risk Clarification

The NTSB clarified that its recommendation doesn't imply that the 68 bridges are likely to collapse. Instead, it urges bridge owners to assess whether these structures fall within the acceptable risk levels set by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

The 68 bridges have been grouped into two groups: "critical/essential" and "typical." Bridges labeled as critical/essential are important transportation links, like the Key Bridge. Bridges that are not as crucial fall under the typical category.

The recommendation comes as NTSB officials shared new details about the Key Bridge collapse investigation on Thursday. On March 26, 2024, a large cargo ship lost power and crashed into the Key Bridge in Baltimore, leading to its collapse. Eight road workers fell into the Patapsco River, and six of them lost their lives.

The NTSB reported that the Key Bridge was nearly 30 times above the acceptable risk threshold for critical or essential bridges.

"Had the Key Bridge's owner, the Maryland Transportation Authority, or MDTA, conducted a vulnerability assessment based on recent vessel traffic as recommended by AASHTO, MDTA would have been aware that the Key Bridge was above the acceptable risk and would have had information to proactively reduce the bridge's risk of a collapse and loss of lives associated with a vessel collision with the bridge," NTSB said.

Here's the full list of 68 bridges across the United States that the NTSB has recommended for risk of collapse evaluation: