Bridge collapse in Baltimore

[motorstereo]

I just saw this terrible tragedy

Ship hits major US bridge, sending structure tumbling into river in Baltimore

A portion of a major bridge in Baltimore has collapsed after a large boat collided with it, sending multiple vehicles into the water.

www.abc.net.au

 

[RickeyM]

That's gonna send a big wrench into the works for quite some time. Sad to say but very little hope for anyone in the vehicles that were on the bridge at that time. If this had happened during rush hour it would have been much much worse. I've been across that ridge many times and to imagine something that big going down in seconds is just wow.

 

[62caddy]

Tragic. It appeared as if the vessel's lights went out just before the collision suggesting control of the ship may have been lost. Thankfully the traffic on the bridge was minimal at the time but reportedly there had been a crew working on the bridge. Several vehicles can be seen driving across just before the collapse. I hope they made it in time. Scary stuff.

 

[motorstereo]

Tragic. It appeared as if the vessel's lights went out just before the collision suggesting control of the ship may have been lost. Thankfully the traffic on the bridge was minimal at the time but reportedly there had been a crew working on the bridge. Several vehicles can be seen driving across just before the collapse. I hope they made it in time. Scary stuff.

Yes this video shows it losing power and then regaining it again. Prayers for all those involved

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1772548737904107848

 

[kirk57]

I saw the video. That's the stuff of nightmares for some people.

 

[lakeeffect]

Terrifying video. The entire bridge collapsed in seconds.

 

[Blue Shadow]

That loss of power appears to be an opportunity for the pilot to abort and turn away from the bridge instead of trying to make the turn.

Looking at pictures of the bridge before in the light of day it appears the connections from base to bridge were not very big compared to the bridge overall. The results of the investigations, more than one, will be interesting. I wonder if protective stanchions will be added to this and other bridges. Hopefully the support tower wasn't damaged down low.

Be nice to see this get a temp fix as fast as I-95 Phila did last year. Not going to happen but will be interesting to see how this fix moves forward.

Thoughts to those on the bridge and their families.

 

[gadget73]

I doubt the bridge will get a quick fix, but I bet the waterway will be cleared quickly to get the port open again. Closing that off will cause a lot of issues.

 

[motorstereo]

I've never been across that bridge but I've read that it's 2.5 miles long. I had no idea it was that big from watching the videos.

 

[BillyTheKid]

Wow. That's terrifyingly awful. The stuff of nightmares for people driving on the bridge.
Bad things sure happen fast.

 

[sfox52]

It was seven years before the Sunshine Skyway bridge across the mouth of Tampa Bay was opened. ( bridge was hit and fell in 1980, new span opened in 1987.) I don't know how long the harbor itself was closed.

 

[Mystic]

Russian media outlets are having a FIELD DAY with this story.

Anything to deflect/detract from the simple fact that Kremlin's own FSB are responsible for the cock up @ Crocus Hall kin Moskva.

Yep.

 

[62caddy]

That loss of power appears to be an opportunity for the pilot to abort and turn away from the bridge instead of trying to make the turn.

It's likely all control was lost once power was interrupted.

On another site, someone pointed out that heavy smoke was visible at the rear of the vessel.

 

[hjames]

It's likely all control was lost once power was interrupted.

On another site, someone pointed out that heavy smoke was visible at the rear of the vessel.

Heavy smoke was likely from attempts to hit FULL REVERSE once power was initially restored, and the ship's path became obvious from the bridge.

Generally speaking, local pilots (captains?) who know the channel manage the ship once they come into the bay and port area.
The problem is that even skilled pilots cannot control a ship once steerage and power is lost - that much mass/inertia at 12 knots speed is just a dumb hammer.
Mass drivers, once set in motion are pretty unstoppable.

So fortunate it was not during rush hour - but, apparently there were construction crews on the bridge fixing potholes and such at 01:30AM ...

And - Bethlehem Steel and all the heavy industry in Sparrows Point when I was much younger are long gone. A search shows a return of some steel is under development,
but perhaps not soon enough for the bridge rebuild. https://thedailyrecord.com/2022/02/10/us-wind-gives-update-timeline-to-sparrows-point-steel-project/

 

[REMINGTON700]

Typically to have a seasoned harbor pilot who comes onboard to navigate into and out of ports. Emergency steering is usually back in the engineering compartments for loss of control by the bridge and manned during navigation details. Quite a few things would need to go wrong...not to mention the use of tugs.

 

[RickeyM]

Photos: Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

The 1.6-mile bridge spans Baltimore's harbor, and photos show steel rods still wrapped around the container ship that rammed into it.

www.yahoo.com

 

[Ross6860]

Time from lights-out to lights-on was less than 60 seconds. Not bad.

Thing is, we have no idea what was going on in the engine room before the lights went out, or after they came back on.

Lights out, they probably lost steerage, but the main engines should have still been on line.

Granted, I'm used to US standards for construction and safety, which are/were pretty good IMHO. Foreign Flag vessels other than the GB, the EU, etc. have some pretty sketchy operations.

Ship was registered in Singapore but could have had an engineering crew that didn't even speak the same language as the deck officers. Crazy, yes, but they allow it.

FWIW - Speaking as a retired Ships Engineer and Merchant Marine Academy graduate.

 

[RickeyM]

That loss of power appears to be an opportunity for the pilot to abort and turn away from the bridge instead of trying to make the turn.

Looking at pictures of the bridge before in the light of day it appears the connections from base to bridge were not very big compared to the bridge overall. The results of the investigations, more than one, will be interesting. I wonder if protective stanchions will be added to this and other bridges. Hopefully the support tower wasn't damaged down low.

Be nice to see this get a temp fix as fast as I-95 Phila did last year. Not going to happen but will be interesting to see how this fix moves forward.

Thoughts to those on the bridge and their families.

Something that big (948 feet long) and that heavy (I've seen 95,000 ton an 140,000 ton figures) will not stop nor change direction without a lot of room to do so. The approaches to the bridge are still there so maybe they can build from that instead of building a bridge from the ground up.

 

[Ross6860]

Heavy smoke was likely from attempts to hit FULL REVERSE once power was initially restored, and the ship's path became obvious from the bridge.

Generally speaking, local pilots (captains?) who know the channel manage the ship once they come into the bay and port area.
The problem is that even skilled pilots cannot control a ship once steerage and power is lost - that much mass/inertia at 12 knots speed is just a dumb hammer.
Mass drivers, once set in motion are pretty unstoppable.

So fortunate it was not during rush hour - but, apparently there were construction crews on the bridge fixing potholes and such at 01:30AM ...

And - Bethlehem Steel and all the heavy industry in Sparrows Point when I was much younger are long gone. A search shows a return of some steel is under development,
but perhaps not soon enough for the bridge rebuild. https://thedailyrecord.com/2022/02/10/us-wind-gives-update-timeline-to-sparrows-point-steel-project/

The first ship I sailed on was the SS Sparrows Point in 1979.

Sailed for Bethlehem Steel a few times.

 

[62caddy]

Heavy smoke was likely from attempts to hit FULL REVERSE once power was initially restored...

Impossible to say at this stage.