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Francis Scott Key Bridge (Baltimore)

Coordinates: 39°13′1″N 76°31′42″W / 39.21694°N 76.52833°W / 39.21694; -76.52833
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Francis Scott Key Bridge
View from Fort Armistead Park, 2015
Coordinates39°13′1″N 76°31′42″W / 39.21694°N 76.52833°W / 39.21694; -76.52833
Carried4 lanes of
I-695 Toll
CrossedPatapsco River
LocaleBaltimore metropolitan area, Maryland, U.S.
Maintained byMaryland Transportation Authority
ID number300000BCZ472010
Websitemdta.maryland.gov/Toll_Facilities/FSK.html
Characteristics
DesignSteel arch-shaped continuous through truss bridge
MaterialSteel
Total length8,636 feet (2,632.3 m; 1.6 mi)
Longest span1,200 feet (366 m)
Clearance below185 feet (56 m)[1]
History
DesignerJ. E. Greiner Company[2]
Construction start1972; 52 years ago (1972)[3]
OpenedMarch 23, 1977; 47 years ago (1977-03-23)
CollapsedMarch 26, 2024; 5 months ago (2024-03-26)
Statistics
Toll$4.00
Location
Map

The Francis Scott Key Bridge was a steel arch continuous through truss bridge that spanned the lower Patapsco River and outer Baltimore Harbor / Port carrying the Baltimore Beltway (Interstate 695 or I-695) between Hawkins Point, an isolated southern neighborhood of Baltimore, and Dundalk in Maryland, United States. The crossing between Baltimore City and Baltimore County also passed through a small portion of Anne Arundel County. The main spans and part of the northeastern approach of the bridge were destroyed on March 26, 2024, when a container ship, the MV Dali, crashed into one of its piers.[4][5]

The bridge opened on March 23, 1977, and was named for poet Francis Scott Key (1779–1843), the author of the lyrics to the American national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner". It was known as the Outer Harbor Crossing until 1976, when it was renamed while still under construction. It has also been known as Key Bridge or Beltway Bridge. The main span of 1,200 feet (366 m) was the third longest span of any continuous truss in the world,[6] and the total length was 8,636 feet (2,632 m) long. It was the second-longest bridge in the Baltimore metropolitan area, after the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

The Key Bridge was a toll bridge operated by the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA). The bridge was the outermost of three toll crossings of Baltimore's Harbor, along with the Baltimore Harbor and Fort McHenry tunnels. The bridge carried an estimated 11.5 million vehicles annually. It was a designated hazardous materials truck route, as HAZMATs are prohibited in both tunnels. Upon completion, the bridge structure and its approaches became the final links in I-695, completing a two-decade-long project. Despite being signed as part of I-695, the section of the beltway which crossed the bridge is officially not part of the interstate, instead carrying the hidden designation Maryland Route 695.[7][8]

History

Construction

In the 1960s, the Maryland State Roads Commission concluded a need for a second harbor crossing after the earlier Baltimore Harbor Thruway and Tunnel opened in 1957.[9] They began planning another single-tube tunnel under the Patapsco River, further to the southeast, downstream from the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. The proposed site was between Hawkins Point and Sollers Point in the outer harbor. Plans also were under way for a drawbridge to the south over Curtis Creek, replacing an earlier 1931 drawbridge carrying Pennington Avenue over the creek, to connect Hawkins Point to Sollers Point.[10] Extra capacity was provided by what is now known as the Fort McHenry Tunnel, a four-tube facility running under and curving around historic Fort McHenry, that opened in 1985.[11]

The Francis Scott Key Bridge under construction in 1976
Sign for the Key Bridge used on approach roads

The project was financed by a $220 million bond issue (equivalent to $1.9 billion in 2023) alongside the twinning of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in October 1968.[12] Bids for constructing the proposed Outer Harbor Tunnel were opened in July 1970, but price proposals were substantially higher than the engineering estimates.[13] Officials drafted alternative plans, including a four-lane bridge, which the General Assembly approved in April 1971.[14][15]

A bridge would provide a route across the Baltimore Harbor for vehicles transporting hazardous materials, which are prohibited from both the Baltimore Harbor and Fort McHenry tunnels.[16] The United States Coast Guard issued its bridge permit in June 1972, replacing an earlier approval of the tunnel from the Army Corps of Engineers.[12] Construction of the Outer Harbor Bridge began in 1972,[17] several years behind schedule and $33 million over budget.[18]

Baltimore engineering firm J. E. Greiner Company was selected as the primary design consultant, with only the side approaches being handled by New York City's Singstad, Kehart, November & Hurka in joint venture with Baltimore Transportation Associates, Inc. Construction was performed by the John F. Beasley Construction Company with material fabricated by the Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Co.[19]

While the bridge was still being built, it was named in 1976 to honor Francis Scott Key, the author of "The Defense of Fort M'Henry," the poem upon which "The Star-Spangled Banner" is based. Key was inspired to write the poem after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in September 1814.[20] Key had been aboard an American truce ship with the British Royal Navy fleet in Baltimore Harbor near Sollers Point; the approximate location is within 100 yards (91 m) of the bridge and marked by a buoy in the colors of the U.S. flag.[17][21] Another similarly-named Francis Scott Key Bridge crosses the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.[22]

Operation

The Key Bridge opened to traffic on March 23, 1977.[23] Including its connecting approaches, the bridge project was 1.6 miles (2.57 km) in length with 8.7 miles (14.00 km) of approach road.[23] In 1978, the bridge received an Award of Merit from the American Institute of Steel Construction in the Long Span category.[19] A few months after the 1980 Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapse, a cargo ship collided with the Key Bridge, but the bridge was relatively undamaged.[24]

The bridge opened with four lanes, but its approaches were two lanes to reduce costs.[16] The south approach was widened in 1983. A project for the north approach was completed in 1999 after several years of delays.[16][25]

  • Key Bridge with Baltimore in the background, viewed from Cox Creek Industrial Park, in northeast Anne Arundel County, November 2011 to the south
    Key Bridge with Baltimore in the background, viewed from Cox Creek Industrial Park, in northeast Anne Arundel County, November 2011 to the south
  • Key Bridge looking to the northeast with Sparrows Point and the Bethlehem Steel Corporation steel mill and shipyards of southeast Baltimore County in the distance, February 2018
    Key Bridge looking to the northeast with Sparrows Point and the Bethlehem Steel Corporation steel mill and shipyards of southeast Baltimore County in the distance, February 2018
  • Driving westbound across the bridge, November 2023

Collapse

Main article: Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse
Dali 10+1⁄2 hours after the collapse with remnants of the bridge's superstructure on its bow

On March 26, 2024, at 01:27 EDT (05:27 UTC), the main spans of the bridge collapsed after the Singapore-registered container ship MV Dali lost power[26] and collided with the southwest supporting pier of the main truss section.[27][28] The collapse was declared a "mass casualty incident". Sonar exploration detected several vehicles underwater; two people were pulled out of the river alive, while at least six are presumed dead.[29] The incident could have been much worse, according to Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who declared a state of emergency.[30] The actions of both the ship's crew, who sent a mayday distress call, and workers on the bridge itself, who kept other vehicles off the bridge in the moments before the collapse, saved many lives.[31] In the aftermath of the incident, insurers are expected to incur multi-billion dollar losses for the damages, business disruptions, and liability claims.[32]

The collapsed part of the bridge includes the three spans under the metal truss, and three more to the northeast (right of image in Dundalk, Maryland). The left side of the image is Hawkins Point, Baltimore.[33]

Reconstruction

In his remarks addressing the incident, President Joe Biden stated that "the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing the Francis Scott Key Bridge". He also affirmed all resources were being made available to assist in the response to the incident. He said that he had plans to visit Baltimore in the days after the incident.[34] The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced that their Baltimore District "has activated its Emergency Operations Center. More than 1,100 engineering, construction, contracting and operations specialists are to provide support to local, state and federal agencies."[35]

Tolls

In July 2013, the toll rate for cars was $4.00. The bridge was part of the E-ZPass system and its toll plaza included two dedicated E-ZPass lanes in each direction. Cashless tolling began on the bridge on October 30, 2019.[36] With this system, customers without E-ZPass would pay using video tolling.[37]

References

  1. ^ "What do we know about Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge?". Reuters. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  2. ^ "This Day in Maryland History: Francis Scott Key Bridge Opens in 1977". Preservation Maryland. March 26, 2024. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  3. ^ Francis Scott Key Bridge at Structurae
  4. ^ "Live updates: Rescuers search for people in the water after Baltimore's Key Bridge collapses". Washington Post. March 26, 2024. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  5. ^ "Ship strikes major Baltimore bridge causing partial collapse". ABC News. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  6. ^ Durkee, Jackson, World's Longest Bridge Spans Archived October 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, National Steel Bridge Alliance, May 24, 1999.
  7. ^ Maryland State Highway Administration (2007). "Highway Location Reference: Baltimore County" (PDF). Retrieved April 15, 2009. [dead link]
  8. ^ Maryland State Highway Administration (2005). "Highway Location Reference: Baltimore City" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 20, 2009. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
  9. ^ "1st Tunnel Unit Lowered Into Harbor". The Evening Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. April 11, 1956. p. 80. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  10. ^ "Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Curtis Creek, Baltimore, MD". Federal Register. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  11. ^ Warner, Susan (September 23, 1985). "Motorists slated to see light at end of Fort McHenry tunnel on Nov. 23". The Baltimore Sun. p. A1. Retrieved March 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b Ayres, Horace (June 10, 1972). "Last Hurdle Cleared For Harbor Bridge". The Baltimore Sun. p. 18. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Kraus, Kathy (July 24, 1970). "Bids On Outer Harbor Tunnel $18 Million Over Estimates". The Baltimore Sun. p. C20. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Lynton, Stephen J. (January 7, 1971). "Tunnel Shaping Up As Bridge". The Baltimore Sun. p. D20. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Bridge Wins Approval of Legislature". The Baltimore Sun. April 3, 1971. p. B18. Retrieved March 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ a b c Jensen, Peter (September 22, 1994). "I-695 Key Bridge approach to expand". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  17. ^ a b "Key Bridge (I-695)". Maryland Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  18. ^ Orrick, Bentley (August 5, 1973). "Harbor crossing tops Bay Bridge in delay, overrun". The Baltimore Sun. p. A1. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ a b "1978 Prize Bridges". American Institute of Steel Construction. p. 25. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  20. ^ "Harbor Bridge Named For Francis Scott Key". The Baltimore Sun. June 22, 1976. p. C5. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Read, Zoe (June 7, 2014). "Coast Guard celebrates 200th anniversary of Battle of Fort McHenry". Capital Gazette. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  22. ^ "The Francis Scott Key Bridge spans the Potomac River, connecting Georgetown, DC to Rosslyn, VA". D. C. Historic sites. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  23. ^ a b "Key Bridge opens at 10 A.M. today". The Baltimore Sun. March 23, 1977. p. C6. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Joel Rose; Nell Greenfieldboyce (March 26, 2024). "Questions arise amid the collapse of the Key bridge in Baltimore". All Things Considered. NPR. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  25. ^ "Baltimore Beltway coming full circle; Divided lanes finished on the southeast arc". The Baltimore Sun. November 6, 1999. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  26. ^ "Wes Moore, Maryland's governor, said the cargo ship's crew told the authorities that they had lost power around the time that the ship struck the bridge". The New York Times. March 26, 2024. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  27. ^ "Key Bridge in Baltimore collapses after large boat collision". WTOP News. March 26, 2024. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  28. ^ "Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapses after ship struck it, sending vehicles into water". March 26, 2024. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  29. ^ "Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse live updates: Coast Guard says finding survivors unlikely". NBC News. March 26, 2024. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  30. ^ "Key Bridge collapse: What we know about structure's history, traffic". baltimoresun.com. March 26, 2024. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  31. ^ "WATCH: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says mayday call helped limit traffic on collapsed Key Bridge". PBS NewsHour. March 26, 2024. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  32. ^ Simpson, Jack (March 28, 2024). "Baltimore bridge collapse could lead to record insurance loss, says Lloyd's boss". The Guardian.
  33. ^ Alonso, Melissa; Wolfe, Elizabeth; Mascarenhas, Lauren (March 26, 2024). "Cargo ship lost power before colliding with Baltimore bridge; 6 remain missing after collapse". CNN. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  34. ^ "Biden pledges support for Baltimore in wake of Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse". ABC News. March 26, 2024. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  35. ^ "Army Corps of Engineers is supporting recovery operations following Francis Scott Key Brid". Baltimore District. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  36. ^ "Drivers Going Through Tolls At Hatem And Key Bridges Won't Be Able To Use Cash By Late October". Baltimore, MD: WJZ-TV. September 26, 2019. Archived from the original on October 18, 2019. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  37. ^ Fulginiti, Jenny (April 12, 2019). "Cashless tolls coming to Key, Hatem bridges in October". WBAL. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
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