MOLINE, Ill. — After a cargo ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday morning, leading to its collapse and the presumed deaths of at least six people, many in the Quad Cities have the tragedy in mind as they drive over area bridges.
Jim Nelson, Iowa DOT director of bridges and structures, told News 8 that modern bridge design for vessel impact didn't start until 1991 when The American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials released specific design provisions for vessel collisions.
Nelsons said modern bridges like the I-74 bridge are designed for vessel impact.
"We would probably have some superficial damage to the pier if it [I-74 Bridge] got impacted," Nelson said. "Maybe spalls and scrapes, but it is designed to resist the collision of the vessel load."
Nelson says modern bridges also have a dolphin system around the peers. A perimeter ring often made of sheet piling and filled with crushed stones, is designed to prevent direct impact on a bridge.
The Illinois DOT sent the following statement to News 8:
“Like the rest of the transportation industry, we’re watching the alarming news out of Baltimore and our thoughts are with everyone impacted.
We want to assure the public that safety is always our No. 1 priority. The Illinois Department of Transportation relies on a rigorous inspection schedule and procedures for all of its bridges to ensure they’re safe for the traveling public, including assessing damage caused by traffic, maritime, or other incidents. IDOT has overseen historic investments in the state’s infrastructure across all modes of transportation, including improving more than 530 bridges statewide the last four years through Gov. JB Pritzker’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program, which passed in 2019.”
Structurally Deficient Bridges in Iowa
The topic of bridge safety is particularly relevant in Iowa, where 4,558 of the state's 23,270 bridges are classified as structurally deficient, the most of any state in the country, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders (ARTBA). The 'structurally deficient' classification means that one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
Though it may sound alarming to Quad Citizens, Chief Economist for ARTBA, Dr. Alison Black said it's nothing for drivers to worry about.
"I think people should be aware of the conditions they don't have to worry per se," Dr. Black said. "State DOTs are very good, If there's any concern about safety and the traveling public, they will either post a bridge for load, which means they'll restrict the weight, or maybe truck traffic that crosses the bridge or in extreme cases, they may shut down a lane or the entire bridge," said Black.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into Law by President Joe Biden in 2021, granted the state of Iowa $461.7 million in bridge formula funds for bridge work over the life of the act.
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