After the bridge collapse in Maryland last year, the NTSB is recommending that several Philadelphia area bridges be checked for inspection. NBC10’s Lauren Mayk reports.
A new report about America's bridges is out, and in it, authorities recommend evaluating bridges for their risk of collapsing if hit by a cargo ship—including several in the Philadelphia area.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a list of 68 bridges, which were divided into two categories: typical and critical.
The Walt Whitman, Ben Franklin, Betsy Ross, Commodore Barry, and Delaware River Turnpike bridges were listed as critical/essential because they "serve as important links," according to the report.
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These recommendations were made after a cargo ship lost power and slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, last year. The investigation found that Maryland officials had failed to assess the bridge's vulnerability to collisions for decades.
Officials said part of the issue is that the size of cargo ships today is significantly larger than those that existed when the bridges were first built.
"The FHWA requires that new bridges on the National Highway System be designed to minimize the risk of a catastrophic bridge collapse from a vessel collision given the size, speed, and other characteristics of the vessels navigating the channel under the bridge; the requirements were adapted from AASHTO’s Guide," the NTSB report said.
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission released a statement regarding the report:
"We just received this NTSB report and will be thoroughly reviewing it over the coming days. Safety is the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s top priority, and we are committed to advancing safety in all aspects of our operations."
Other iconic bridges on the urgent risk list include the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City.
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