On March 26, the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which spanned the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland, collapsed after the Dali, a 984-ft container ship leaving the Port of Baltimore, lost power and struck its southern pier. The bridge provided a vital artery for transportation in the Northeast Corridor and its loss has posed mobility challenges for residents and businesses. Moreover, the bridge’s wreckage blocked maritime access to the port until the channel’s reopening last month. The Port of Baltimore generates $70 billion in economic impact annually. Consequently, its closure has hurt domestic and international supply chains and impacted the 43,000 employees whose jobs the port supports.
To analyze the disaster’s aftermath and the federal and state governments’ response, members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works convened on Wednesday. As Chairman Carper (D-DE) stated, the hearing marked an opportunity to both discuss lessons learned and assess how to move forward. The testifying witnesses included leaders directly involved in the disaster’s response and efforts to rebuild the bridge:
Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) were also invited to offer remarks on behalf of their home state.
Grief and Gratitude
Each witness began their testimony by extending their condolences to the families of the six individuals killed during the collision. The victims were part of a Department of Transportation maintenance crew fixing potholes on the bridge’s span. While voicing empathy for the lives lost, the Senators also commended actors at the federal, state, and local levels for the speed and effectiveness of their unified response.
Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) praised local authorities who quickly closed the bridge to vehicle traffic after the Dali issued a mayday call, just minutes before the strike. Their rapid action almost certainly saved many lives. The Maryland senators also acknowledged the speed of the federal response in the aftermath. Cardin thanked Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who arrived in Baltimore almost “immediately,” and President Biden for quickly releasing $60 million in emergency funds to support initial clean-up work.
Perhaps the greatest gratitude was reserved for Lieutenant General Spellmon, who led the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ efforts to clear the bridge’s wreckage. As Spellmon recalled, clearing the channel required removing 50,000 tons of concrete, asphalt, and steel from the river and the Dali’s bow – enough material to construct the Statue of Liberty 200 times. That the port was able to reopen in two months, Cardin expressed, is a “miracle.”
Baltimore Struggles Without Key Bridge
Though the rate of recovery from this historic disaster has proved impressive, the Key Bridge’s absence has created transportation, environmental, and financial hardships for Baltimore and the surrounding region. As Wiedefeld remarked, the bridge was a crucial artery in the I-95 corridor and a much-needed connection for goods and passengers. More than 30,000 people crossed the bridge every day. After its collapse, vehicles have been forced to find alternate routes. As Cardin stated, traffic through the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel has increased 18 percent and residential streets have been inundated with freight trucks. Vehicles carrying hazardous materials, which are banned from using the tunnel, must either travel through the city or take a 35-mile detour through the I-695 beltway.
This influx in traffic has increased air quality concerns, which the FHWA is monitoring in partnership with the Baltimore Metropolitan Council, and wear-and-tear on Baltimore’s street network. Key Bridge tolls that would have otherwise supported maintenance on Maryland’s highway system statewide can no longer be collected. Without this revenue – approximately $56 million in 2023 – the Maryland DOT’s ability to address these new concerns is limited.
Without a new bridge, all these concerns will continue to worsen. Consequently, all attending committee members expressed their dedication to replacing it as quickly as possible. Wiedefeld explained that the FHWA expects to have a bridge design-build team selected by mid-to-late summer 2024 in line with a project completion date projected for fall 2028.
Will the Federal Government Pay For Its Replacement?
All attending committee members agreed that the federal government should help the Maryland Department of Transportation cover the $1.7 billion expected cost, as Bhatt estimated, of replacing the Key Bridge. However, one outstanding question remains: what share should the federal government pay? The U.S. Department of Transportation typically provides aid to disaster-damaged federal bridges and highways through the FHWA’s Emergency Relief (ER) Program. The program is funded by an annual authorization of $100 million from the Highway Trust Fund and by annual appropriations from Congress as needed. The federal cost share for permanent repairs of interstate highways, as was the Key Bridge, is 90 percent. However, 100 percent cost share is admissible with Congressional authorization.
Since the collision in March, the Biden Administration has maintained its commitment to providing 100 percent federal cost share. On April 5, the White House sent a letter to Congress reiterating this commitment, directing Congress to draft and pass legislation authorizing this increase. The following week, the Maryland delegation in both chambers introduced legislation to authorize full cost share (S. 4114 in the Senate and H.R. 7961 in the House of Representatives) with no spending cap. During the hearing, Cardin and Van Hollen again urged the Senate to enact the legislation.
Capito remained skeptical that 100 percent cost share is appropriate, citing concerns of fairness. In response, Van Hollen reminded the committee of Congress’ “tradition” of providing 100 percent cost share to states that have undergone a large-scale Interstate bridge collapse, such as Minnesota after the I-35W Bridge collapse and the I-10 Twin Spans after Hurricane Katrina. Cardin added, “The Maryland Delegation is not asking for special treatment for our state. We are asking for support after a tragic, unforeseen disaster that impacted a nationally significant infrastructure asset.”
Unfortunately, the ER Program currently has an estimated $2.1 billion backlog of projects, including relief to Hawai’i after Maui’s 2023 wildfires, the worst natural disaster in the state’s history. To help address this shortfall, the Biden Administration asked Congress in late June to authorize $4 billion in emergency appropriations, including $3.1 billion for the FHWA ER Program. This request comes 8 months after the administration requested $56 billion for emergency response funds for other disasters, a call that remains unanswered.
Will It Happen Again?
Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) asked perhaps the most poignant question: what is the likelihood that a bridge strike could happen again? Bhatt declined to answer, deferring to the expertise of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). However, Bhatt commended the ability of free-standing concrete piers or “dolphins”, when placed effectively and when well-maintained, to protect bridges against collision. He explained that the FHWA is working with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the NTSB to identify which bridges in the U.S. need updated protections. Wiedefeld added that designing more effective dolphins for the Key Bridge’s replacement will be a “high priority.”