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The Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse in Baltimore, Maryland
X/Twitter ^ | 03/25/2024 | @sentdefender

Posted on 03/25/2024 11:45:29 PM PDT by Drago

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland which crosses the Patapsco River has reportedly Collapsed within the last few minutes after being Struck by a Large Container Ship

(Excerpt) Read more at x.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; China; US: Maryland; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: alaskaerik; badnav; baltimore; baltimorebeltway; bearcreek; beltway; beltwaybridge; biden; bootygigger; bridge; bridgecollapse; buttigieg; bypass; collapse; containership; containershipdali; curtisbay; curtiscreek; dali; dundalk; fortarmisteadpark; fortmchenry; francisscottkey; harborpilot; hawkinspoint; i695; interstatehighway; jonesact; kerchbridge; key; keybridge; maryland; masscasualtyincident; mckeldinbeltway; mdot; outerharborcrossing; patapscoriver; q; r; route695; shipping; singapore; sparrowspoint; spartansixdelta; spartansixdeltaqr; starspangledbanner; synergymarinegroup; transportation
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To: Drago

Without reading 500 posts, I’ll just copy what I wrote elsewhere…

local here. I’m about a half hour away. Didn’t know about this until this morning. 6:30 I heard radio guys talking as if something closed the bridge. Didn’t think much of it. Then wake up later 9:30 hear a ship hit the Key and brought it down.

First off, enough with the 2nd-guessing the engineering, etc. I was an engineer, though not civil, just mechanical. Simply speaking you can only design for so much. World Trade Center wasn’t designed for large airplanes full of fuel deliberately charging for it. The piers are a “key” structure for a bridge. Bring it down and likely the whole thing comes down. Who cares about the timing? This was a truss bridge, not a suspension. Either way, the manner it is designed, supported, and hit with what huge thing can affect how quickly it all falls. There are so many factors. Why call everyone into doubt?

Terrorism? No way. Just a huge ship, not at all uncommon here, losing its way and having massive momentum, and exerting massive force when it hits.

The film comes from several points which film in that direction. I can’t remember if they said Ft. Smallwood or Ft. Armistead. There is also supposed to be helicopter footage. I think you can see it going by just before the collapse.

As far as cars - when I saw the full wide angle, it did not look like any passing cars were even on the end of the bridge at the exact time it collapsed. Plenty before that, and the vehicles there were likely the work trucks as I heard about crew being on it and thus the workers who walked out of the water. There have been reports that somehow people were trying to stop traffic from getting on. Apparently JUST in time, because the few seconds before it struck zero moving cars were on it. So likelY indeed only workers were involved, of which now they say are 8.

All I had heard early this morning was that the bridge was closed….thought maybe an accident or some other safety inspection closed it. But they were right, this is going to mess up some traffic for a long time. Key bridge is part of the beltway. Went over it on the “Trump Train” back in 2020.

My biggest question would be, why do we rely so much on electrical? Or did the mechanical actually fail and thus the electrical went out? I don’t know how some of these modern ships are built. I’d imagine the engines usually create the electrical, but maybe just battery banks that have generators to re-stock them. If it was really 1 screw (someone mentioned this) and it really ran on electric, that may not be enough redundancy.


561 posted on 03/26/2024 7:42:34 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: Guenevere

NO. NO. NO.

Geesh people. It’s like you’re loving every opportunity.


562 posted on 03/26/2024 7:44:41 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: Dr. Zzyzx

“With a simple Youtube search, one can find compilations of dozens and dozens of incidents of large ships inexplicably crashing into infrastructure. I think Occam’s razor would lean far more toward equipment failure than terrorism.”

Yep. There will be some on the left and the right who will try to play politics with things like this. No surprise there.

A report said the lights on Dali flickered off then back on before it hit. Too early to say what happened except it would seem a power failure would impede steering of the ship.

We’ll see what all they find.


563 posted on 03/26/2024 7:46:33 AM PDT by plain talk
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To: GreenLanternCorps
Okay thanks, I was wondering if that was the case, that is was a fixed camera. Not much goes un observed anymore, but they still haven't identified the person who placed the pipe bombs at the RNC & DNC HQs in DC on J6, 2021.

Anyway, back to the topic, I wonder why the bridge was not immediately shutdown.

Is the video of the vessel hitting the bridge that has been released?

My wife just came in and showed me the video of the vessel hitting one of the pilings (I believe that is what they are called) holding up the bridge, and I see it was darker when that happened. Do you know the time between the vessel hitting the pier/piling or whatever it's called 😋 and the bridge collapse?

564 posted on 03/26/2024 7:46:46 AM PDT by Robert DeLong
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To: the OlLine Rebel

Good summary of the whole event.


565 posted on 03/26/2024 7:47:33 AM PDT by Deo volente ("When we see the image of a baby in the womb, we glimpse the majesty of God's creation." Pres. Trump)
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To: Drago
I sincerely hope any new rebuilds don't end up like the Bay Bridge in San Francisco - a bridge I will never cross again (prefer to go around 'the long way').

September 2013: Bay Bridge opened at a cost of $6.5 billion.

May 2015: Tests showing signs of saltwater intrusion into the bridge tower’s foundation and damage to its anchor rods.  In addition, there were reports that anchor bolts holding the Bay Bridge signature tower to the bay floor failed.

  January 2016: Big chunk of concrete fell from Bay Bridge tunnel at the Yerba Buena Island.

February 2016: Steel reinforcements on Bay Bridge tunnel show signs of corrosion.

February 2017: Lights went out on the bridge during the morning commute.

  August 2017: Questions arise regarding strength of steel supporting the bridge.

January 2018: Microbes corroding submerged Bay Bridge welds.

This report only goes to 2018, I can only imagine the problems in the ensuing six years.

566 posted on 03/26/2024 7:49:18 AM PDT by Bon of Babble (You Say You Want a Revolution?)
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To: NautiNurse

Boy, that went over their heads.

COLLISION, not COLLUSION, readers!


567 posted on 03/26/2024 7:50:37 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: Bon of Babble

“The tunnel”?

There are 2 tunnels, the newer one built in the ‘80s as my sister dated one of its engineers then.

Idont know if it has more restrictions. But there are other ways. Tunnels are the best way generally. Otherwise the old-fashioned way - thru the city.


568 posted on 03/26/2024 7:56:23 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: mewzilla
The domestic side of a port operation has been the bigger security problem for as long as I've been working with the shipping industry.

The operations at these ports may be "foreign controlled" from a corporate standpoint, but I suspect the union longshoremen are almost all U.S. citizens.

569 posted on 03/26/2024 7:57:20 AM PDT by Alberta's Child (If something in government doesn’t make sense, you can be sure it makes dollars.)
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To: CMS

Love the arm chair QB.


570 posted on 03/26/2024 7:58:08 AM PDT by New Perspective (As Leonard Cohen said once in an interview, “You won’t like what comes after America”)
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To: hanamizu

Thanks for the link, I will check it out.


571 posted on 03/26/2024 7:58:34 AM PDT by New Perspective (As Leonard Cohen said once in an interview, “You won’t like what comes after America”)
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To: reviled downesdad

And another year to decide who’s name to put on it!


572 posted on 03/26/2024 7:59:46 AM PDT by US_MilitaryRules (#PureBlood )
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To: mmichaels1970

He said he is a qualified surface warfare specialists and a qualified OOD. Reminds me of butter bars who hop on the bridge with an new pencil still unsharpened telling experienced bridge personnel how to operate.


573 posted on 03/26/2024 8:01:18 AM PDT by New Perspective (As Leonard Cohen said once in an interview, “You won’t like what comes after America”)
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To: the OlLine Rebel
As far as cars - when I saw the full wide angle, it did not look like any passing cars were even on the end of the bridge at the exact time it collapsed.

I was listening to the radio while running some errands. The news said the ship sent out a mayday and the bridge had some kind of warning system to notify drivers to not cross..

574 posted on 03/26/2024 8:03:10 AM PDT by EVO X ( )
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To: Robert DeLong

https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/4226891/posts?page=561#561

The collision happened at about 1:40.


575 posted on 03/26/2024 8:03:51 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: US_MilitaryRules

And another year to decide who’s name to put on it!


Well, it can’t be named after Francis Scott Key, slavery or white supremacy, etc. Perhaps it should be named after an illegal alien, after all, they built this country.
/s


576 posted on 03/26/2024 8:04:07 AM PDT by hanamizu ( )
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To: central_va
I agree with most you have said. Emergency anchors should have been dropped, regardless of if there was a tug in the way. Anchor DRAG is not intended to be a infinite immense shock to the main structure of the ship, but a somewhat damped, applied load that will not produce catastrophic failure of ship structure. Yield maybe, but hopefully not complete fracture and failure. But even if it did, so be it. Better to lose the ship in most cases, than a bridge of this size. Ship does not need to be brought to stop, but to as slow a speed as possible to help minimize collision impact damage.

Why emergency anchor release would require power, i don't know. I would think it should not, as loss of power could be the whole reason a dropped anchor(s) might be required. Mechanical sears should be possible to minimize force required to enable release, but i have not designed one.

In any event, I thank you for your excellent commentary.

577 posted on 03/26/2024 8:04:23 AM PDT by griffin (When you have to shoot, SHOOT; don't talk. -Tuco)
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To: EVO X

I had heard some kind of mayday went out and crew might have tried to flag people.

It happened so fast. Cars were crossing up to the last seconds, I swear. Maybe 10 seconds of clear.


578 posted on 03/26/2024 8:05:14 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: CMS

A huge ship ON WATER already with an initial velocity has huge momentum. You don’t just STOP.

It’s not terrorism or other sabotage. Something was wrong with the ship that it failed.


579 posted on 03/26/2024 8:07:37 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: reviled downesdad
Todays construction is not like years past. To many beauracrats and regulators,it will take 3 months to clear a shipping lane, anoth 6 for impact studies maybe 1 yr to design and bid and 3 years to build it. We are looking at more like 4 to 5 years not 2 to 3.

Baltimore is close to DC, so lots of pressure should be (might be?) exerted on the Washington DC do nothings. To get the bridge up and running in 2-3 years. To cut through the eco-bullcrap and other red tape. To get this done on an expedited timeline. If the Dems are smart this is what they will do. Use the bridge repair as a showcase. Actually this needs a whole new bridge.

580 posted on 03/26/2024 8:08:51 AM PDT by dennisw (Why is the rabbit unafraid? Because he's smarter than the panther.)
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