Major NYC bridges among 68 recommended for assessments following Baltimore bridge collapse: NTSB
A risk assessment could have prevented the Key Bridge collapse, the NTSB said in their report
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Nearly a year since the catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after a container ship struck one of its piers, the National Transportation Safety Board is recommending that the owners of nearly 70 bridges across the United States, including 15 in New York and New Jersey, conduct vulnerability assessments of the risk of collapse from a vessel collision.
Such an assessment could have prevented the deadly Key Bridge collapse, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said Thursday.
If the Maryland Transportation Authority had conducted a vulnerability assessment, it "would have known the risk and could have taken action to safeguard the Key Bridge," Homendy said during a press briefing announcing the recommendation.
"Had they done that, the collapse could have been prevented," she said.
The Federal Highway Administration started requiring vulnerability assessments of new bridges in 1994, the NTSB said. The Key Bridge was built before that requirement.
The 68 bridges that the NTSB recommends for assessment are those designed before the guidance was established and do not have a current vulnerability assessment, the NTSB said.
Among the bridges are New York City's Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg, Verrazano Narrows and George Washington bridges.
Also on the list are the Thousand Islands, Seaway International, Outerbridge Crossing, Ogdensburg-Prescott International, Rip Van Winkle and Newburgh-Beacon bridges in New York, and the Commodore Barry and Vincent R. Casciano (Newark Bay) bridges in New Jersey.
The NTSB says that the newly-released report does not suggest that the 68 bridges are certain to collapse, but they are recommending that the 30 bridge owners evaluate whether the bridges are above the AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) acceptable level of risk. They are recommending the bridge owners develop and implement a "comprehensive risk reduction plan" if it's determined that a bridge has a risk level above the AASHTO threshold.
In response, MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Catherine Sheridan said that all of the agency's "vehicular bridges" are routinely inspected, undergo regular maintenance and repairs and have been evaluated based on current AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) guidelines. Sheridan added that the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge "exceeds" the AASHTO guidelines, with its bridge towers protected by rock islands, stopping any large vessel from coming into contact with them.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which is responsible for bridges connecting New York and New Jersey, like the George Washington Bridge, said in a statement, "Container ships like the Dali do not pass under the Outerbridge Crossing, Goethals, or George Washington bridges, and the vessels that do pass underneath are one-third the tonnage and 400 feet shorter than the Dali." It says the risk of a container ship collision is very low at those bridges because of where their towers are located. Ships would run aground before hitting them.
Meanwhile, NYC DOT, which is responsible for the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges, says they are reviewing the NTSB's request, says that the East River, "cannot accommodate such large vessels and there are no major freight terminals along the East River." In New York Harbor, container vessels are required to be guided by a highly-trained tug boat pilot for safety.
The container ship Dali struck one of the piers on the Key Bridge early on the morning of March 26, 2024, triggering the bridge to collapse and killing six construction workers who were filling potholes on it. Two other workers survived the incident.
The crash affected entry into the Port of Baltimore for weeks as the debris blocked entry for other ships. Dozens of federal, state and local agencies responded to remove approximately 50,000 tons of steel, concrete and asphalt from the channel and from the Dali.
A preliminary report released by the NTSB in May found that the Dali experienced two power blackouts while docked, 10 hours before the collision that toppled part of a bridge span.
The NTSB said Thursday its final report on the Key Bridge collapse will be released this fall.
ABC News contributed to this report
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