Baltimore bridge collapse reignites calls for fixes to America's aging bridges

Bridge experts and U.S. presidents have decried the nation's aging bridges and lack of maintenance for decades. 

Calls for sorely needed bridge infrastructure fixes resurfaced Tuesday after a Singapore-flagged cargo ship struck Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. And while the circumstances of Tuesday morning's disaster - a massive cargo ship charging into a support beam for the bridge - is an unpredictable event, experts still say the nation's maintenance and repair record on bridges is an important factor that needs to be addressed.

The collision caused the bridge to collapse within seconds, sending six bridge construction workers who are now missing and presumed dead into the dark waters of the Patapsco River. The US Coast Guard called off its search for the men late Tuesday evening.

Rick Geddes, an infrastructure policy expert and director of Cornell University’s infrastructure policy program, said the bridge collapse highlights several critical issues. 

“This disaster reveals how exposed America’s critical infrastructure is to sudden and devastating accidents as well as intentional destruction,” Geddes said. “Improved resilience should be on everyone’s mind as aging infrastructure is rebuilt. Enhanced protection against ship-bridge collisions will certainly become more salient.”

Broken bridges: On the map below, more than 20% of bridges in red counties are closed or in need of repair, according to the National Bridge Inventory. Don't see a map? Find the map of broken bridges here.

Still, it’s unlikely Baltimore’s bridge stood a chance against the 984-foot Singapore-flagged Dali cargo ship crash that led to its collapse despite the quality of its build. Because the ship collided with one of the bridge’s main support columns, there wasn't enough support to hold its load, bridge experts told USA TODAY.

Between 1960 and 2015, there have been 35 major bridge collapses worldwide due to ship or barge collisions, killing a total of 342 people, according to a 2018 report from the World Association for Waterborne Transport. Eighteen of the major collapses occurred in the United States.

And for decades, America's leaders and experts alike have debated what to do about U.S. bridges. For instance, what to do about aging bridge infrastructure was one of the few issues that both Republicans and Democrats alike agreed upon as a pressing issue during the 2016 presidential election buildup. Eight years later, the problem of bridges continues to fester.

Baltimore bridge graphics:After ship hits Baltimore bridge, mapping how the collapse unfolded

How safe are America's bridges?

About one in three U.S. bridges either need repairs or need to be replaced, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association’s latest analysis on bridge conditions.

More than 222,000 bridge spans and 76,000 bridges need some type of repair, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2021 “Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.

The report card says about 42% of the nation’s more than 600,000 highway bridges are over 50 years old — about a 39% increase from 2016. 

Of those hundreds of thousands of bridges, about 12% were 80 years or older. Notably, the report found that structurally deficient bridges were nearly 69 years old on average.

“Most of the country’s bridges were designed for a service life of approximately 50 years, so as time passes, an ever-increasing number of bridges will need major rehabilitation or replacement,” according to the report.

The American Society of Civil Engineers estimated Americans take 178 million trips across the bridges each day.

Why are bridges in such bad shape?

Many bridges were built during the “peak interstate construction period” from the 1950s to the early 1970s, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. 

However, extreme weather, a rise in vehicle traffic, heavier vehicle loads, delayed maintenance, and oversight issues have caused bridges to deteriorate faster.

The American Road and Transportation Builders Association said the federal government classifies a bridge as “structurally deficient” if critical components such as deck, superstructure, substructure and culvert conditions are rated less than or equal to four — designating the bridge in poor or worse condition.

'Nothing is staying put in the ocean':Bridge collapse rescue teams face big challenges

Although structurally deficient bridges are still considered operational, according to the infrastructure rehabilitation company UHPC Solutions, elements of these bridges require significant maintenance or need to be monitored closely for defects.

National bridge inspections are mandated by the federal government and occur periodically, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers report. But the amount of time between inspections can range between 12 to 48 months.

The report also noted that bridges categorized as “fair” remain a concern, as they can be one inspection away from being downgraded in classification.

“The rate of deterioration is exceeding the rate of repair, rehabilitation, and replacement, all while the number of bridges sliding into the ‘fair’ category is growing,” the report says.

Improving America's bridge infrastructure

Data shows repairs could take decades.

“The number of bridges in poor condition declined by 560 compared to 2022,” reads the American Road and Transportation Builders Association’s report. “At the current pace, it would take nearly 75 years to repair them all.”

A state-by-state analysis from the group shows a majority of states did not spend most of the federal bridge formula funds available to them on bridge infrastructure updates last fiscal year despite the need for repairs. 

“As the end of FY 2023 approaches, states have only committed $3.2 billion in bridge formula funds, accounting for 30 percent of the $10.6 billion currently available,” reads the report. “These funds have helped support over 2,060 bridge projects in the construction and repair pipeline.” 

The group found that eight states – Idaho, Georgia, Alabama, Arizona, Indiana, Florida, Texas and Arkansas – had committed more than two‐thirds of their available bridge formula funds at the end of the last fiscal year while 31 other states had committed less than 33 percent of those funds. 

'Minor deterioration':Here's what an inspection report said about Baltimore's collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge

While it is unlikely that the number of structurally deficient bridges can be drastically reduced any time soon, experts say long-term investments and innovation can help address America’s aging infrastructure.

New technologies, materials, evaluation techniques, and construction methods have advanced in recent years, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers report. 

In addition to these innovations, a new industry manual from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation requires new bridges to be designed to last for 75 years instead of 50 years.

Investments like the 2021 infrastructure bill have already directed $306 billion into state coffers and direct investment projects, according to the Brookings Institution’s November analysis. The infrastructure package was the largest investment in the country’s infrastructure in decades and included $110 billion to fix roads and bridges.

Geddes said the Key Bridge collapse “should be viewed as an opportunity to rebuild American infrastructure in a smart way, which includes new materials and designs to reduce the risk of future accidents, including sensors embedded in the bridge that communicate in real time with approaching ships.”

Contact Kayla Jimenez at [email protected]. Follow her on X at @kaylajjimenez.