Latest news with #MDTA
CBS News
12-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Maryland agencies launch college internship program for Key Bridge rebuilt project
The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) is partnering with the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) to create paid internship opportunities for college students working on the Francis Scott Key Bridge reconstruction project. The bridge collapsed on March 26, 2024, after being struck by the cargo ship DALI, which lost power before the collision. Six construction workers died in the collapse, which disrupted port operations and regional traffic for months. The Key Bridge Rebuild Internship Program will provide hands-on experience for undergraduate and graduate students from four major Maryland universities as the state works to replace the bridge that collapsed one year ago. Who will participate in the program? During the program, both undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Maryland College Park, Morgan State University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, and Johns Hopkins University will work with professional engineers and project stakeholders on the rebuild project. More than 80 students majoring in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, environmental science, computer science, information systems, business technology, and communications applied for the program, the MHEC said. Ten students have been selected for the inaugural session this summer. Where does the Key Bridge rebuild stand now? The bridge reconstruction project is expected to cost about $2 billion and is expected to take about four years to complete. Pre-construction activities began in January 2025, including inspections of nearby properties, riverbed scanning, and soil sample collection. In February, the MDTA authorized three contracts worth $20 million each for construction management and inspection services. A new cable-stay design revealed in February shows that the new structure will visually resemble the original bridge while implementing structural improvements. The new Key Bridge will be taller to better accommodate ship traffic, with the federal shipping channel expanding from 700 to 1,000 feet wide and the base raised by 45 feet to a height of 230 feet. Demolition of remaining bridge pillars is scheduled to begin this spring, with in-water construction expected to start in fall 2025.
CBS News
28-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Governor Wes Moore appoints Marciela Cordova to Maryland Transportation Authority Board
Marciela Cordova has been appointed as a new member of the Maryland Transportation Authority Board, per Governor Wes Moore in a Friday announcement. Cordova, who already serves as the special assistant to the director for transportation strategic projects with the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, will serve a four-year term on the board. According to a press release, Cordova has more than 30 years in architectural, engineering, and construction programs through serving a multitude of roles with the MCDT and acting as a senior manager of design, preconstruction, and project development with Clark Construction Group, LLC. "Maricela Cordova's extensive background and proven track record in the transportation sector make her the perfect candidate to serve this important role on the MDTA Board," Governor Wes Moore said. "Her leadership skills and innovative thinking will be an asset to the Board and to all Marylanders." "I am honored to receive this appointment by Governor Moore," she said. "I am eager to collaborate on Maryland's most important projects and priorities, and I am committed to advancing the board's values of integrity, transparency, and efficiency. With my expertise in transportation, I look forward to making meaningful contributions that will benefit the state and its future." The Board, comprised of eight members, is responsible for policy-setting, decision-making, and governing for the MDTA, which oversees and preserves the state's toll facilities and roads. The MDTA is financed by toll revenue alone and was established by the Maryland General Assembly in 1971.
CBS News
25-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
It's been 1 year since Baltimore's Key Bridge collapsed. Where does the rebuild stand?
One year ago, Baltimore's iconic Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in the middle of the night after it was struck by a large cargo ship leaving the Port of Baltimore. The deadly collapse crippled the port - and traffic around Baltimore - for months. Within a matter of months, state and federal leaders collaborated to fund and reconstruct a brand-new bridge, which is expected to be finished by the fall of 2028. On March 26, 2024, investigators said the DALI , a 948-foot vessel managed by Singapore-based company Synergy Marine Group, lost power before crashing into the Key Bridge. Six construction workers performing road work on the bridge died after falling into the Patapsco River. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the ship lost power four times in 12 hours before the collision. Earlier this month, the NTSB faulted the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) for not conducting a critical vulnerability assessment on the Key Bridge, which it said could have identified the structure's risk of collapse. The NTSB review found the level of risk for a catastrophic collapse for the Key Bridge was nearly 30 times higher than acceptable risk levels. "The MDTA would've had information to proactively identify strategies to reduce the risk of a collapse and loss of lives associated with a vessel collision with the bridge," MDTA chair Jennifer Homendy said when releasing the board's findings. The Key Bridge construction is expected to cost about $2 billion and it could take at least four years to complete. Here's where we stand: Maryland leaders unveiled the vision of the new Key Bridge in February. The rebuild will visually mimic the original bridge's architecture while having structural improvements. Officials said the new bridge will be taller, to accommodate ship traffic with ease. The cable stay design of the new bridge will allow the federal shipping channel to expand from 700 ft. to 1,000 ft. wide. The base of the bridge will also be raised to 230 ft., which is a 45-foot increase to accommodate ship traffic. The roadway will still be two lanes wide going in each direction. Other pier support structures will be implemented to secure the structure. According to the MDTA , other bridge features include: "Our new bridge will also be constructed in accordance with the most advanced industry standards and the very best in infrastructure design," Maryland Gov. Moore said. "We are going to use the best materials available and employ many Marylanders to build it." In December 2024, Congress passed a deal on a federal spending package , which allocated $100 billion for disaster relief, including the entire cost of a new Key Bridge. At the time, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the efforts to complete the work on a new Key Bridge were "on time and on budget." "The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a national crisis, and meeting the moment would require an act of national unity," Moore said. "Now, we must bring our work to completion by rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge." In the spring, demolition will begin to remove the remaining pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Immediately after that, Gov. Moore said construction will begin. In-water construction of the new bridge, which will connect the I-695 Baltimore Beltway, is expected to begin in the fall of 2025, but that will also require permit verification from the U.S. Coast Guard, according to officials. MDTA anticipates the new Key Bridge to reopen by October 15, 2028 .
CBS News
23-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Maryland governor diverts blame from MDTA over Key Bridge assessment
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said there isn't a bridge in the country that could have withstood a strike from a ship the size of the Dali, which crashed into the Key Bridge in 2024, causing it to collapse. In his first public comments since the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that a critical vulnerability assessment was missed on the Key Bridge, Moore deflected the blame from the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) . The governor says the owners and operators of the Dali are at fault for the collapse, on March 26, 2024, which killed six construction workers. "The Federal Highway Administration and the federal government had claimed, and continue to state, that the Key Bridge was not the issue," Moore said. "The issue, and I was speaking with the former transportation secretary about it, was that we had a ship the size of three football fields, that when you have a ship at that size moving at that speed, and what he told me was, 'There wasn't a bridge in the country that could have taken that impact.'" The NTSB said the Dali lost power four times in 12 hours before ultimately crashing into the bridge. NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said the MDTA didn't perform vulnerability assessments on the Key Bridge, which are used to find unknown safety issues with bridges nationwide. However, Gov. Moore said on Fox News on Sunday that the Key Bridge has passed every federal assessment for more than 30 years. "So when you look at the reckless behavior of the Dali, that's the sole reason for it, but I also know that protecting our bridges is the highest priority," Moore said. Homendy said had the state conducted the vulnerability assessment and calculation, it would've known the bridge's risk of collapse if hit by a vessel. NTSB said their findings revealed the level of risk for a catastrophic collapse was nearly 30 times higher than acceptable risk levels for the Key Bridge and 15 times higher, specifically for Pier 17, one of the bridge's main pillars that was struck by the cargo ship. According to investigators, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation issued safety recommendations for the Key Bridge in 1991 and 2009 but those recommendations were never executed. The MDTA issued a statement saying. "The collapse was the sole fault of the Dali and the gross negligence of her owners." "Over the past 50 years, hundreds of thousands of vessels transited under the Key Bridge without incident," the statement continued. "The Key Bridge, like other bridges in America, was approved and permitted by the federal government and in compliance with those permits." Governor Moore said Maryland has spent more than $150 million in the last year on protecting the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in the aftermath of the Key Bridge collapse. The Bay Bridge was one of 68 bridges in the United States recommended by the NTSB to have a vulnerability assessment to determine the risk of a bridge collapse from a vessel collision. The NTSB says the MDTA has yet to conduct a vulnerability assessment and calculation on the Bay Bridge, which has similar vessel traffic to the Key Bridge. The NTSB mentioned that their recommendation does not suggest that the 68 bridges are certain to collapse, but rather those bridge owners should evaluate whether the bridges are above the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' acceptable level of risk. The 68 bridges were divided into two categories, "critical/essential" and "typical." Those deemed critical/essential are those that serve as "important links." The Key Bridge had this classification. Those that are not deemed critical/essential fall under the typical designation. "As for the existing bridge, we know that they have not done that," Homendy said. "That vulnerability assessment takes a long time. There's no reason why they shouldn't have done it before now. It shouldn't take an urgent safety recommendation to take action and we expect that to be done now."' The bridges recommended for a vulnerability assessment are listed here . Johns Hopkins is expected to r elease a new report on Monday on the risks of ships hitting other bridges nationwide.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
NTSB issues safety recommendations for area bridges in report on Key Bridge collapse
The Brief As the one-year anniversary of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse approaches, the NTSB is issuing safety recommendations to owners of nearly 70 bridges in the United States. The March 26, 2024 collapse claimed the lives of six construction workers who were on the bridge when it was struck by the Denali container ship. Several bridges in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have been urged to assess their risk of a collapse if struck by a vessel. PHILADELPHIA - Nearly a year after a container ship struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse, the National Transportation Safety Board is urging owners of dozens of other bridges to asses their vulnerability. NTSB officials held a press conference on Thursday where they provided an update on the collision and collapse that claimed the lives of six construction workers who were working on the bridge when it was struck. Next Wednesday, March 26, will mark one year since the Denali container ship lost power and slammed into a pier of the bridge as it headed out of the Port of Baltimore. What they're saying NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy says the Key Bridge Collapse could have been prevented if the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) had conducted the correct vulnerability and risk assessments and studied recent vessel traffic as recommended by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, or AASHTO. "The MDTA would have been aware that the bridge was almost 30 times greater than the risk threshold that AASHTO sets for critical essential bridges. Thirty times greater," Homendy said. Big picture view The NTSB also made four urgent safety recommendations to bridge owners, urging them to assess their risk of a collapse if they were struck by a vessel. Their recommendation specifically targeted 30 owners of 68 bridges in 19 states, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and other bridges in Maryland. "Frankly, we've been sounding the alarm on this since the tragedy occurred and in testimony before the House Transportation and Infrastructure last April," Homendy said. "We need action. Public safety depends on it." The NTSB's report does not suggest that the 68 bridges are certain to collapse, but that they need to be assessed. "So what we are trying to do is prevent something in the future. That is always what we're trying to do," she said. "They need to know risk and take action.. we just don't know right now." Local perspective The NTSB shared a list of 68 bridges across the country that have unknown levels of risk of collapse from a vessel collision. Below is a list of bridges in the tri-state area that were included in the report. The owners include the US Army Corps of Engineers, Delaware River Port Authority, New Jersey Turnpike Authority, and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Summit Bridge Saint Georges Bridge Reedy Point Bridge Commodore Barry Bridge Vincent R. Casciano (Newark Bay) Bridge Walt Whitman Bridge Benjamin Franklin Bridge Betsy Ross Bridge Delaware River Turnpike Bridge Dig deeper In 1991, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials published guidance on how to calculate bridge vulnerability assessments. All bridges designed afterward were required to be evaluated, and in 2009, the group reiterated its recommendation to also conduct assessments for older bridges. The 68 bridges listed in the NTSB report are "frequented by ocean-going vessels," were constructed before the AASHTO guidance was issued and have not undergone an assessment. Therefore, the level of risk is unknown and bridge owners are "likely unaware of their bridges' risk of catastrophic collapse from a vessel collision and the potential need to implement countermeasures to reduce the bridges' vulnerability." What's next The NTSB also released 1,000 pages of their investigation, including interviews, into the collapse. They will release audio transcripts and data recorder details in the coming weeks with a final report expected this fall. The replacement bridge will cost about $2 billion and be completed by 2028 The Source Information in this article was sources from the NTSB's report and Thursday press conference. FOX 5 Washington DC and the Associated Press also contributed to this report.
