Gov. Moore Shifts Blame from MDTA Over Key Bridge Collapse

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore defended the Maryland Transportation Authority following a NTSB report that revealed a critical vulnerability assessment was overlooked on the Key Bridge before its collapse in 2024. Instead, Moore placed the blame squarely on the owners and operators of the cargo ship Dali, which crashed into the bridge, killing six construction workers.

“The Federal Highway Administration and the federal government have stated that the Key Bridge was not the issue,” Moore said. “The issue was that we had a ship the size of three football fields moving at that speed. There wasn’t a bridge in the country that could have withstood that impact.”

The NTSB disclosed that the Dali had lost power four times in the 12 hours before striking the bridge. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy criticized the MDTA for not conducting vulnerability assessments on the Key Bridge, which could have identified potential risks. However, Moore countered on Fox News, stating the bridge had passed all federal inspections for over 30 years.

“When you look at the reckless behavior of the Dali, that’s the sole reason for the collapse,” Moore emphasized. “But I also know that protecting our bridges is the highest priority.”

Homendy argued that if the state had conducted a vulnerability assessment, it would have known the bridge’s heightened risk of collapse in the event of a vessel collision. According to NTSB findings, the risk level for a catastrophic failure was nearly 30 times higher than the acceptable threshold, with Pier 17—one of the bridge’s main supports—being particularly vulnerable.

Despite safety recommendations from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation in 1991 and 2009, those measures were never implemented. The MDTA had been part of a subcommittee drafting these recommendations.

In response, the MDTA issued a statement blaming the collapse solely on the Dali and its owners, emphasizing that “hundreds of thousands of vessels transited under the Key Bridge without incident” over its 50-year history.

“The Key Bridge, like other bridges in America, was approved and permitted by the federal government and in compliance with those permits,” the statement added.

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Governor Wes Moore Shifts Blame from MDTA Over Key Bridge Collapse  was originally published on wolbbaltimore.com