History of the Key Bridge

The Key Bridge, once thought as an engineering masterpiece when it was built in the 1970s, has been hit and has partially collapsed into the Patapsco River early on Tuesday March 26, 2024. The Key Bridge, named after Francis Scott Key, is a 1.6 mile long bridge that spans across the Patapsco River as it runs north from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor out to the Chesapeake Bay. The collapsed Key bridge connected Baltimore City to Anne Arundel County. The collapsed Key bridge was a steel arch continuous truss bridge that was opened on March 23,1977 after 5 years of construction. The collapsed Key Bridge had the 3rd longest span of continuous truss in the world, with the main span measuring 1,200 feet. The collapsed Key Bridge was the second longest bridge in the Baltimore Metro area after the Chesapeake Bay Bridge at the time of the collapse.

The collapsed Key Bridge was used for trucks that transport hazardous materials which are prohibited from using the Harbor and the Fort McHenry tunnels.

On March 26th 2024, at 1:30 am the container ship the DALI, which is owned and operated by Maersk and managed by Synergy Group, collided with a pillar that supported the now collapsed Key bridge causing the bridge to collapse sending vehicles and construction workers to plunge into the Patapsco River. Apparently, at the time of the crash, contractors were performing concrete repair work on the bridge.

Rescue efforts will continue, however with a collision this massive and this many people involved, there will certainly be fatalities. People have been rescued from the Key Bridge collapse with injuries and were taken for medical care. Ship collisions that cause major damage to bridges are rare.

The collapsed Key Bridge was both a major traffic connector for 695 and the Port of Baltimore. This accident and bridge collapse will cause major disruptions not only in Maryland, but also for the rest of the east coast. A few years before this disaster, an Evergreen container ship got stuck in the Chesapeake Bay near Baltimore. After weeks of work from crews to free the ship, and millions of dollars spent, the ship was rescued.

The Baltimore Harbor is key to the shipping industry. The Baltimore Harbor in Maryland not only has employees, but many vessels come in daily with their shipments to the Port of Baltimore. The bridge and port closure will have significant effects to local businesses that count on regular shipments through the Port of Baltimore.

Unfortunately, a tragedy of this magnitude will certainly lead to loss of business use, personal injuries and death. Employees working at the time of the bridge collapse and injured in this bridge collapse may also have a claim for workers compensation depending on their injuries. If you were injured as result of the Key bridge collapse in a car, motorcycle, bus or truck, or you were on the job at the time of the Key Bridge collapse and sustained injuries and damages as a result of the accident, please reach out to the Law Firm of Foran & Foran, P.A. for a consultation and assistance with personal injuries and damages from the Key Bridge collapse accident.