LIVE: Baltimore Key bridge collapses after struck by ship, rescues underway

[jeff of pa]

 

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[fishstick]

Crazy video!!! Hopefully everyone will be ok

 

[Heavygold4me]

Fortunately it didn’t happen during rush hour, it’s still bad enough though.

 

[Marino13]

Yikes reminds me of the sunshine skyway bridge in Tampa that came down when I was a kid.

 

[scruggs]

Hope they find everyone alive!

 

[pepperj]

It's reported that 2 have been rescued, and it's still a full on recovery scene.

Totally crazy why things in this day and age happen.
The guidance systems that are on vessels are GPS locational devices that could dock it almost.
Yet here it hits one of the bridge's pylons.

Question on what were the harbour pilots doing, that should of being on board?

The insurance companies are now jacking all our rates to cover the loss of the lives, bridge, containers-that's a given.

 

[Doubter in MD]

This is stunning. There were work crews on the bridge when it collapsed. I am praying for them and their families.

Fortunately traffic was nearly non-existent because it happened at about 1:30 AM.

I drive over this bridge about 10 times per month, usually in the afternoon. It WAS an alternate route for me when the Fort McHenry and Baltimore Harbor tunnels back up during rush hour. Traffic around the area will probably be a real S*** show for the next few years. And ship traffic will be probably interrupted for months while they clear the debris from the channel.

EDIT: Apparently a Mayday call from the malfunctioning ship allowed the toll facilities police to stop bridge traffic just prior to the collision. This undoubtedly saved lives. It's sad that they weren't able to warn the road workers, who were apparently in their trucks on a lunch break, to get off the bridge.

 

[pepperj]

Hope they find everyone alive!

They're hoping that anyone in an auto is still alive, as if they are in open water the survival rate is 3 hours for this time of the year/water temps.

 

[pepperj]

This is stunning. There were work crews on the bridge when it collapsed. I am praying for them and their families.

Fortunately traffic was nearly non-existent because it happened at about 1:30 AM.

I drive over this bridge about 10 times per month, usually in the afternoon. It WAS an alternate route for me when the Fort McHenry and Baltimore Harbor tunnels back up during rush hour. Traffic around the area will probably be a real S*** show for the next few years. And ship traffic will be probably interrupted for months while they clear the debris from the channel.

The bridge carried an estimated 11.5 million vehicles annually, with an average daily traffic of 31,500 vehicles. It served as a Baltimore lifeline until last night.
Divert 31,500 daily users to the other routes for a few years.....Best of luck to those the use this as a daily commuting route.
For sale: Is an option if the need to be on the other side is a requirement.

The price of everything that came into this port just went up-just watch.

 

[Mackaydon]

The water appears calm and I see tugboats.
Aren't they there to prevent such a disaster?
Don in SoCal.

 

[BigWaveDave]

Reports are the ship lost power just before impact…. Likely unable to control propulsion and steering for a few minutes. Looks like power to ship was restored before impact, but by then too late to avoid collision. The ship immediately reported an emergency May Day call to authorities, allowing traffic to be stopped both directions….
Seems like pot hole repair crew stuck on bridge became casualties. 6 missing at this point. What a mess. But could have been worse. Route 695 has always been a shitshow, this’ll make things worse for months, if not a year. Awful.

 

[smokeythecat]

Essentially the port of Baltimore is closed. About 30 ships are in the port and will be there awhile. Lots of cars come into Baltimore. Not in the next few weeks. There are normally a couple Coast Guard and Navy ships there on any given day and there are numerous cruise ships that go in and out of Baltimore. Not for awhile. The ship traffic backed up near Annapolis must be humongous. I've been over the bay bridge near Annapolis and it's nothing to see 4-8 ships waiting their turn to get into Baltimore. They'll have to go to Norfolk or Philly now.

 

[Mackaydon]

I read this: "It is my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge, and I expect the Congress to support my effort," Mr. Biden said.
Sure, Mr. President, have the taxpayers pay for the entire reconstruction. Are you kidding me? What about the insurance companies that insured the vessel--against these exact circumstances? While 'fault' and 'blame' may be swept under the carpet, it certainly wasn't an 'Act of God'--so the insurance companies, the ship's owners, the leasing company-- perhaps all of them have some insurance coverage that could be used to reconstruct the bridge and its infrastructure.
Don in SoCal

 

[jeff of pa]

Mark My Words The Cost will Be added to another Bill
for Twice as Much as the Bridge will cost to go to Ukraine
And other Pet Projects of piggy & Schumer.

And He'll say the Republicans Won't foot the Bill for the Bridge.
Probably just before elections

 

[SeabeeRon]

Here we go….

 

[ARC]

<--- This Avatar photo was taken roughly 1-2 days before The Sunshine Skyway Bridge underwent the exact same catastrophe.

We (my parents and i) were in traffic headed home from Key West about to go over TSSB.
Had we been earlier we would have been on that bridge.

Had to take the long way home after an already long drive.
But... we made it home as opposed to the 35 who did not that day.

Baltimore bridge collapse echoes 1980 Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster in Tampa Bay

The shocking collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday morning gives people in the Bay Area some frightening flashbacks to another disaster.

www.fox13news.com

 

[Gene Mean]

The water appears calm and I see tugboats.
Aren't they there to prevent such a disaster?
Don in SoCal.

I too thought tugs provided an escort to open water. Maybe with harbor pilots on board tugs aren't needed.

 

[Flipperfla]

I used to keep my boat in Downtown Balt. @ Fells Point. Went under this bridge all the time. The little Island near the bridge you can see in some of the aerial video or Google Earth is a fort named Fort Carroll, designed by Robert E Lee. I went out in my Zodiac and explored it once. Huge rows of large brick arches at each wall of the fort where the gun ports are. At each intersection of the outer walls there is a sprial staircase where you have to go to the roof and go down a flight of steps to get to the next section of the wall. The main courtyard was completely overgrown with heavy brush. When going down the staircase to the lower section was REALLY CREEPY, it was like being in Draculas Castle, dark, water dripping down the walls the sprial part you could only see a few feet in front of you because of the angle of the turn. It was so freaky my Jack Russell wouldn’t even go down, and that dog was fearless. There were rumored to be giant rats on the island, didn’t see any but the remains of big seagulls were everywhere. There is suppose to be a tunnel to the mainland that is connected to Fort Armstead I have seen on old charts. When I went in the lower section to the wall that faced the other fort you could see where it was now it was sealed. Started to freak out down in the dark waiting to encounter a pack of rats so it was time to go. Told my neighbor back at the marina if I wasn’t back by a certain time to come and look for me. This place gets 5 stars. I have pix somewhere I will try to find them to post. Check it out on Google Earth the resolution is really good you can even see the staircases on the roof. Google Maps has great pix of the fort.

 

[BigWaveDave]

 

[relicmeister]

Any Mothman sightings?