State of emergency in Baltimore

[M-technik-3]

Not Sure which Cruise line just moved it departures/arrivals to Newport VA.

This is gonna take a serious long time to replace. Might be quicker to sink another tunnel as Baltimore has two already what's one more.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

Not Sure which Cruise line just moved it departures/arrivals to Newport VA.

This is gonna take a serious long time to replace. Might be quicker to sink another tunnel as Baltimore has two already what's one more.

Carnival

[hoyitschris]

Used to take that bridge to Ocean City since I was a kid. Sucks to see it gone… supply chain is going to be messed up from here on out

[Alfisti]

How about the Mayor rocking up in jeans and a high school jacket, looks about 19.

[Boomer 2019]

Granted but, this bridge was not responsible for the collapse. I would venture to say that there is not a bridge anywhere in the world that could withstand a direct impact of a gazillion pounds at 15kts without collapsing to some degree.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by Boomer 2019

Granted but, this bridge was not responsible for the collapse. I would venture to say that there is not a bridge anywhere in the world that could withstand a direct impact of a gazillion pounds at 15kts without collapsing to some degree.

Exactly. Our local news is trying to manufacture a story about whether we should worry about the safety of local bridges because a cargo ship rammed into a bridge and it fell down in Baltimore. Anything to create a stir.

That said, there are bridges that need maintenance or replacement and federal, state and local governments have been nothing short of negligent in managing this infrastructure. It's just a separate issue.

I drove across the Washington bridge in RI one day before it was closed, which was two days after serious deficiencies were identified in it. It is now about the be demolished and replaced ($250M+), after millions were spent on its maintenance. It's not just a matter of funding. There is a serious issue with reckless management and accountability.

[ErikJ1]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

How about the Mayor rocking up in jeans and a high school jacket, looks about 19.

I was like this is their mayor? Damn..y'all are fucked...is he related to Beetlejuice from Chicago?

[Boomer 2019]

Even the national networks are doing this. Trying to somehow blame this agency, or that administration, or one or the other parties. Not outright mind you, just speculation, but... I am a regular FNN watcher and saw some of this going on there last night. I can't tell you how shocked and disappointed I was. As for poor management and lack of accountability, welcome to the human condition.. same as it ever was.

[vreihen16]

I can see a rush coming to build barrier islands around all major bridge supports, to protect them from impact by errant large ships.....

[Buug959]

[QUOTE=RickFLM4;31023238]Exactly. Our local news is trying to manufacture a story about whether we should worry about the safety of local bridges because a cargo ship rammed into a bridge and it fell down in Baltimore. Anything to create a stir.

You're not alone. The Halifax Harbour Bridges posted the following on their website in an effort to reassure the general public, no doubt in response to a number of panicking wusses calling in demanding to know what plans, if any, are in place for this type of incident.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

I can see a rush coming to build barrier islands around all major bridge supports, to protect them from impact by errant large ships.....

I was thinking about that. But anything strong and solid enough to stop a ship is also liable to rip the hull open, causing the ship to sink. You'd need something like, as you say, an island, with a soft ramp so the ship runs aground rather than slamming into something solid. But then how large would that have to be? And how do you get it close enough to protect the supports without blocking the channel?

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by M_Six

I was thinking about that. But anything strong and solid enough to stop a ship is also liable to rip the hull open, causing the ship to sink. You'd need something like, as you say, an island, with a soft ramp so the ship runs aground rather than slamming into something solid. But then how large would that have to be? And how do you get it close enough to protect the supports without blocking the channel?

Won’t necessarily stop politicians from building something that sounds good but won’t actually work in an emergency.

[MADBMWX5MC]

I wonder how long it would take to rebuild, they have a massive operation in front of them

[BReif61]

Originally Posted by MADBMWX5MC

I wonder how long it would take to rebuild, they have a massive operation in front of them

They've called off the search for survivors, so now its a recovery and clearing operation.

My lay-person guess? We'll see a huge push to get the shipping channel clear over the next month or two, then the better part of a decade before we see a bridge across that span again.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by MADBMWX5MC

I wonder how long it would take to rebuild, they have a massive operation in front of them

My guess is it could take six months or longer to clear everything in the water and dismantle and clear the portions of the bridge that could fall on ships below. Maybe the re-opening of the port access will happen in stages - minimal access first with more access over time.

For the bridge itself, my guess is at least 5 years and probably more. The assessment and RFP process alone could easily take more than a year. Hopefully this runs parallel to the clearing process, not sequentially. I don’t know enough about the area, but hopefully there are opportunities for some beefed up alternative routes that can occur more quickly to relieve some of the ground traffic. That’s not always possible with water below and also would take a while even if possible.

[M_Six]

I would think they'd clear a channel first. Maybe a few weeks for that at most. Once the channel is passable, they can clear the rest of the debris. I assume they'll assess the remaining portions of the bridge to see if those sections are still viable. But with traffic the way it is, they may opt to build a wider bridge with more lanes. That will take considerably more time, but may be worth it in the long run.

Long distance traffic will find a new "normal" route around the area. But those poor folks who live on one side and work on the other have it rough. That may entail moving or finding a new job. A former 30 minute commute could take hours now.

[XutvJet]

A new I35 bridge (collapse in 2007) in Minneapolis was built in about a year. Reconstruction of the Baltimore bridge will be prioritized. The old bridge cleaned up in a month minus the support pillars.

[vreihen16]

Another question is whether the port will change operating procedures to use two tugs until a ship passes the bridge? The tugs reportedly cut this ship loose about two minutes before the power failure, and we would't have this thread if they had a policy to use the tugs through the bridge channel.....

[M_Six]

There you go. 4 weeks to clear a new channel. It'll be months before they get the bridge cleared, but at least ship traffic can start to flow now.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...ridge-collapse