The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended evaluating 68 bridges in 19 states with a “vulnerability assessment” to assess their risk of collapse in the event of a vessel collision, following the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore last year. Over the past year, the NTSB has identified 68 bridges constructed before 1991 that lack a current vulnerability assessment. The recommendations have been sent to the owners of these 68 bridges across the country, as announced by NTSB officials. Notable bridges included in the list are the Golden Gate Bridge in California, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida.
In response to the NTSB recommendation, the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway, and Transportation District stated that the Golden Gate Bridge is in full compliance with state and federal regulations. The district has hired a consultant to conduct an assessment of the South Tower fender system’s structural capacity for ship collisions this year. The NTSB emphasized that the recommendation does not imply that the 68 bridges are guaranteed to collapse, but rather urges bridge owners to assess whether they meet the acceptable risk level set by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
The 68 bridges are categorized as “critical/essential” or “typical,” with critical/essential bridges serving as vital links. The Key Bridge, which collapsed, fell under the critical/essential category. The NTSB also provided new details from the Key Bridge collapse investigation, revealing that the bridge was almost 30 times above the acceptable risk threshold for critical or essential bridges. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy mentioned that the final report on the Baltimore incident will be released in the fall.
Below is the list of the 68 bridges across 19 states that the NTSB recommended for evaluation for the risk of collapse:
California:
– Richmond-San Rafael Bridge
– Carquinez Bridge
– Benicia-Martinez Bridge
– Antioch Bridge
– San Mateo-Hayward Bridge
– Coronado Bridge
– Golden Gate Bridge
Delaware:
– Summit Bridge
– Saint Georges Bridge
– Reedy Point Bridge
Florida:
– Sunshine Skyway Bridge
– Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge (Dames Point Bridge)
Georgia:
– Talmadge Bridge
Illinois:
– Chicago Skyway Calumet River Bridge
Louisiana:
– Huey P. Long Bridge
– Greater New Orleans Bridge
– Israel LaFleur Bridge
– Crescent City Connection Bridge
– Hale Boggs (Luling) Bridge
– Horace Wilkinson Bridge
– Gramercy (Veterans Memorial) Bridge
– Sunshine Bridge
Maryland:
– William Preston Lane Jr. (Bay) Bridge
