Lawmakers Urge States to Prioritize Bridge Safety Tests
Congressman Steny H. Hoyer is joining other lawmakers in urging states to conduct critical bridge safety tests to prevent further tragedy in communities across the country.
It’s been a year since Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed. In a letter to the secretary of the US Department of Transportation, the lawmakers write that the bridge’s collapse after a vessel strike on March 26, 2024, could have been averted.
A National Transportation Safety Board investigation revealed the bridge was 30 times the acceptable vulnerability threshold according to now-required guidelines by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. The NTSB said the bridge was among 67 across the country that have not completed an AASHTO-based vulnerability study because they were built prior to its adoption.
Also on the list is Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which the state of Maryland has recently committed to evaluating based on AASHTO safety guidelines.
“Just one year ago, the Baltimore region experienced a devastating tragedy that claimed the lives of six individuals and disrupted countless livelihoods when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after a vessel strike,” the lawmakers write. “The cost to rebuild the bridge is expected to near $2 billion and take at least three years for construction. We have since learned there are dozens of bridges across the country under state jurisdiction that lack recommended safety assessments.”
“To avoid another tragedy of this magnitude, we must take urgent action to address vulnerabilities that could lead to another catastrophic bridge failure or collapse. The Key Bridge disaster was not an isolated incident – it was a warning,” they continue.
The leaders request the “expeditious” adoption of the recommendations outlined by NTSB in its preliminary report. Specifically, calling on the 18 other states and US Army Corps of Engineers with jurisdiction over the 66 bridges across the country that currently lack a vulnerability study to undergo such an evaluation as quickly as possible.
The letter is co-signed by Maryland Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and Reps. Kweisi Mfume, Glenn Ivey, Sarah Elfreth, April McClain Delaney Andre Carson, Hank Johnson, Sylvia Garcia, Betty McCollum, Gwen Moore, Chris Pappas, Mike Quigley, and Eugene Vindman.
Read the letter in its entirety here.
Congressman Hoyer is chair of the Regional Leadership Council.
For more information about Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, visit his Leader member page.
