ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is preparing to vote on its findings regarding the catastrophic crash of the container ship Dali into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, an incident that led to the bridge's collapse and the tragic deaths of six construction workers on site.
The vote, set for Tuesday, follows a significant revision from Maryland officials regarding the cost and timeline for replacing the bridge, now estimated to range from $4.3 billion to $5.2 billion, more than double the previous estimate of approximately $1.9 billion. The anticipated completion date has also been pushed back to 2030.
Governor Wes Moore indicated that the initial budget and timeline evaluations were released shortly after the bridge disaster in March 2024, emphasizing that changes in national economic conditions and rising material costs have contributed to the revised estimates. Moore noted that the increased costs stemmed from federal standards for design and resilience, rather than state decisions.
The impending NTSB meeting will address probable causes, safety recommendations, and updates to prior reports related to the crash. Early investigations identified issues such as a loose cable leading to electrical problems aboard the Dali, which caused the ship to lose power and veer off its course before colliding with the bridge.
Records disclosed by the NTSB indicate that the Dali experienced initial power loss while still docked in Baltimore, attributable to a crew error during maintenance. This power issue, worsened by the connection to a problematic electrical system, resulted in the ship's steering failure just prior to the accident. The Dali crashed into a support column of the bridge at approximately 1:30 a.m., leading to a swift and disastrous collapse into the Patapsco River.
The bridge, an essential transportation route for the Baltimore area since its opening in 1977, has seen its traffic notoriously hindered for months following the collapse, reverberating through local shipping operations. Continuous efforts are underway to dismantle the remaining portions of the bridge, which began in July.
The NTSB has publicly criticized the Maryland Transportation Authority for neglecting the bridge's vulnerabilities and has urged other bridge owners to reassess similar risks in light of the evolving maritime shipping landscape.
