Collapse of Baltimore Bridge Highlights the Cost of Failing to Safeguard Critical Spans

In this article by Supply Chain Brain, Global Resilience Institute director Dr. Stephen Flynn discusses the recent bridge collapse in Baltimore.

Excerpt:

“We really are going to see the costs of not safeguarding our critical bridges,” warns Northeastern University’s founding director for its Global Resilience Institute Stephen Flynn.

The Dali container ship crashed into the bridge early on March 26, sending a large portion of the span — along with several vehicles containing construction workers — plunging into the water below.

As of March 27, the Port of Baltimore has closed all vessel traffic until further notice, with no estimate for when that may change, as investigators and crews work to search for survivors and clear the waterway.

Flynn predicts months-long disruptions brought on by the closure at the Port of Baltimore, the country’s number one import port for cars, where much of the shore-side infrastructure and roll-on/roll-off capability can’t be shifted to other ports.

Read more