The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has announced an upcoming hearing to examine the circumstances surrounding the collapse of the Key Bridge in Baltimore, as detailed in a recent document published in the Federal Register. Set for November 18 in Washington, D.C., this public forum seeks to present the findings of a marine investigation report that has been in the works since the bridge's tragic failure on March 26, 2024. The collapse, which followed a collision between the bridge and the cargo ship Dali, resulted in the deaths of six construction workers and disrupted Port of Baltimore operations for several months.
Multiple reports have emerged since NTSB initiated its investigation. An early account published in May 2024 mentioned the ship's loss of power four times in the hours leading up to the catastrophe. Last March, the agency's findings suggested the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) could possibly have avoided the disaster had it adhered to longstanding recommendations for vulnerability assessments of bridge structures, according to WMAR2 News. Yet, an official cause has not been conclusively attributed to date.
The upcoming report, which might align or clarify the points of contention between the MDTA and Dali's stakeholders, is highly anticipated given the legal implications it carries. The MDTA, in a rebuttal to criticism, has staunchly positioned the blame on the Dali, accusing its owners of prioritizing profit over safety.
Moreover, Maryland's Governor Wes Moore added his voice to the chorus of defenses, stating, “There is not a bridge in the country that could have withstood a strike from the Dali,” a quote that indirectly exonerates MDTA and was reported by CBS News Baltimore. This report also issued a directive for the owners of 68 bridges across the U.S. to immediately begin to conduct vulnerability assessments in order to gauge their structures' resistance to similar maritime accidents.
