By: Aarav Sapra
Baltimore’s recent Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, necessary for transit, transportation, and shipping routes, collapsed last month after being hit by a cargo ship. The Francis Scott Key Bridge was a historically known bridge that opened in March 1977. It is the final link in the Baltimore Beltway and is approximately 1.6 miles long. Furthermore, more than 30,000 people commute daily along the bridge, and it cost around 60.3 million dollars to build. Contrarily, the funds needed for cleanup and a new bridge could cost the government approximately 400 million dollars. On the other hand, the ship operated by Singapore-based Synergy Group, which collided with the bridge, was approximately 984 feet long and retained a history in 2016 of colliding with the Port of Antwerp. In addition, Federal Safety Investigators reported that the ship’s power system and circuit breakers were likely at fault during this incident, resulting in this deadly crash.
Following the fatal collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, officials later stated that six people who were part of a road construction crew were presumed dead after Baltimore’s Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning. The Maryland governor expressed his feelings sincerely, explaining that it was a heartbreaking event and a challenging day. Late Tuesday night, it was also noted that two of the six victims who went missing were from Guatemala. Those missing included a 26-year-old from San Luis, Petén and a 35-year-old from Camotán, Chiquimula. The ministry stated that both of these construction workers were part of a team to repair the asphalt on the bridge at the time of the accident. Yet, there has been no information released regarding the identities of the other victims.
With more than 8,000 job losses and dock workers not being paid for weeks, they fear their future, as some report being unable to afford necessities. The investigation and recovery of shipping containers and concrete and steel debris is unfortunately not going as well as expected. With the search rescue giving up on searching for the rest of the victims and the police divers documenting poor to zero visibility, it seems that the completion of cleaning and rebuilding of the bridge may not be possible anytime soon. Moreover, this fatal collapse may change the trade industry, with many warnings that it will seriously impact supply chains. Until the channel is reopened, ships will likely already be changing course for other East Coast ports. Ocean carriers are already being diverted from the Port of Baltimore, where the bridge collapsed, to the Port of Virginia to continue to keep trade moving. Moreover, the giant sum of 400 million dollars and the massive job losses will continue to harm Baltimore’s economy.
