The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge last year has precipitated urgent recommendations by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), pointing to Maryland's oversight in failing to conduct vulnerability assessments. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy underscored the situation, stating, "Had the MDTA conducted a vulnerability assessment of the Key Bridge, based on recent vessel traffic, the MDTA would have been able to proactively identify strategies to reduce the risk and loss of lives associated with a vessel collision with the bridge," in a report highlighted by WUSA9.

In response to the report, the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) claimed the catastrophe was "the sole fault of the Dali and the gross negligence of her owners and operators who put profits above safety." However, email exchanges unveiled by WBALTV suggest variances between MDTA's statements and NTSB's documented requests for assessment data. The lack of provided data forced NTSB to conduct its analysis, finding that the Key Bridge was nearly thirty times above acceptable risk levels.

Finding parallels with another Maryland structure, Homendy added, "The same type of traffic that travels underneath Key Bridge, also goes underneath the Bay bridge, but at a faster speed," as mentioned in the WUSA9 report. This comparison comes as part of a larger concern, with the NTSB identifying 68 other bridges across the United States requiring similar assessments—a list including the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The board has urged bridge owners to initiate evaluations and report remediation plans.