Baltimore Bridge: Ship Collisions Not Uncommon — 5 More Fatal Accidents In US

The tragic events in Baltimore, where a container ship crashed into Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the collapse of much of the 1.6-mile structure, was not the first of its kind and is unlikely to be the last.

A 2018 report by the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure, shows how common such events are.

The report recorded, between 1960 and 2015, 35 instances of major bridge collapses worldwide due to ship or barge collisions. Of these, 18 happened in the U.S.

“Highway and rail bridges that cross busy navigation channels near coastal ports and inland waterways pose unique risks to a nation's critical transportation infrastructure, and potential bridge collapse due to vessel collision often leads to loss of life and significant economic and political consequences,” The report’s author, Michael Knott, said.

Here are five of the worst of those recorded.

Big Bayou Canot, 1993

A barge, pushed by towboat Mauvilla, made a wrong turn on the Mobile River in Alabama and entered the Big Bayou Canot, an un-navigable stretch of water crossed by a CSX Transportation bridge.

The barge collided with the upright of the swingbridge on Sept. 23, 1993. The rails on the span buckled. Minutes later, an Amtrak Sunset Limited passenger train was derailed on the bridge, killing 47 and injuring 103 passengers.

Image via YouTube

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Sunshine Skyway Bridge, 1980

Crossing Lower Tampa Bay, the Sunshine Skyway was struck by the freighter MV Summit Venture during a sudden storm on May 9, 1980.

The incident caused around 1,200 feet of the span to collapse.

Several vehicles were on the bridge when it was struck, causing the roadway to fall beneath them.

Others didn’t notice the collapse in the rain and drove off the edge. In all, 35 people lost their lives.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Interstate 40 Bridge, 2002

Southeast of Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, freight barges being transported on the Arkansas River collided with a pier supporting the Interstate 40 crossing on May 26, 2002.

The skipper of the tug towing the barges reportedly experienced a blackout and lost control of the tow.

A section of the bridge collapsed.

Again, rain impaired visibility. By the time drivers became aware of the gap in the bridge and traffic stopped, eight cars and three trucks had plunged into the river, killing 14 people.

Sidney Lanier Bridge, 1972

The cargo ship African Neptune struck the bridge that crosses the Brunswick River in Brunswick, Georgia, causing a section of the bridge to collapse.

A number of cars plunged into the river, leading to the loss of 10 lives on Nov. 7, 1972.

Queen Isabella Causeway, 2001

During the early morning on Sept. 15, 2001, four loaded barges collided with a column of the causeway, which crosses Laguna Madre in Port Isabel, Texas, causing two 80ft spans of the bridge to fall into the water.

Being close to the high point of the crossing, it was difficult to for drivers to see the gaping hole in the span and eight people were killed as their vehicles plunged 80ft into the water.

Now Read: Baltimore Key Bridge Tragedy Pressures Global Trade: Shipping Already Hit By Panama Canal, Red Sea Challenges

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