Maryland residents are unsettled after learning the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) missed a critical assessment that may have reduced the risk of the Key Bridge collapse in 2024, according to a report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). On Thursday, March 20, the NTSB revealed the MDTA failed to conduct a Key Bridge vulnerability assessment over the years leading up to the collapse. "I was absolutely shocked. It just seemed unimaginable," a Maryland resident told WJZ. "Terrible, I mean frightening. Who would have thought that the bridge would come down like that?" said Raymond Welzel, another resident. Just days shy of one year since the Key Bridge collapsed, and six construction workers were killed, the NTSB said the critical assessment would have allowed them to identify structural risks with the bridge. "It's one of the heaviest ports on the East Coast, so you would think that would be looked into," said Welzel. "It's somebody's job to ensure that doesn't happen." "People died, and now what it's going to cost to rebuild it and the inconvenience we're going through, hopefully, people are up in arms about it and will do something about it," said Bob DiMartino, an Anne Arundel County business owner. Senator Chris Van Hollen said these findings need to be taken seriously, not just for the Key Bridge, but the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which has yet to undergo a recommended vulnerability assessment. "The analysis showed that probably preventative measures need to be taken," Van Hollen said.
CONTINUE READING