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These New York Bridges Are At Risk Of Failure, NTSB Says After Key Bridge Collapse

The catastrophic collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland is sparking national concern as federal investigators warn that nearly 70 other bridges across the country could face a similar fate.

Zak Failla
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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Thursday, March 20, recommended that 30 bridge owners conduct urgent vulnerability assessments after an investigation into the deadly collapse of the Key Bridge found it was nearly 30 times above the acceptable risk threshold for critical structures.

Key Bridge collapse.

Baltimore County PD

According to the NTSB, 68 bridges in 19 states—all designed before modern safety standards—could be at risk of collapse if struck by a vessel. The agency is urging owners to evaluate the risk immediately and create a plan to reduce potential dangers.

The bridges flagged in the NTSB report were built before 1991, when the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) first issued guidance for assessing bridge vulnerability. 

However, some bridge owners never followed through on evaluating their risk levels, officials said.

"Today’s report does not suggest that the 68 bridges are certain to collapse," officials said. "The NTSB is recommending that these 30 bridge owners evaluate whether the bridges are above the AASHTO acceptable level of risk. 

"The NTSB recommended that bridge owners develop and implement a comprehensive risk reduction plan, if the calculations indicate a bridge has a risk level above the AASHTO threshold."

In Maryland, the Chesapeake City Bridge (originally constructed in 1948), the William Preston Lane Jr. (Bay) Bridge (eastbound) (1951); and William Preston Lane Jr. (Bay) Bridge (westbound) (1973) all made the list. 

Other bridges were classified as being "critically/essentially" at risk of collapse, or "typically" at risk: 

California

  • Antioch Bridge (1978);
  • Benicia-Martinez Bridge (1962);
  • Carquinez Bridge (1958);
  • Coronado Bridge (1969);
  • Golden Gate Bridge (1937);
  • Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (1956);
  • San Mateo-Hayward Bridge (1967).

Delaware

  • Reedy Point Bridge (1969);
  • Saint Georges Bridge (1941);
  • Summit Bridge (1959).

Florida

  • Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge (Dames Point Bridge) (1989);
  • Sunshine Skyway Bridge (1986).

Georgia

  • Talmadge Bridge (1991).

Illinois

  • Chicago Skyway Calumet River Bridge (1958).

Louisiana

  • Crescent City Connection Bridge (1985);
  • Gramercy (Veterans Memorial) Bridge (1989);
  • Greater New Orleans Bridge (1957);
  • Hale Boggs (Luling) Bridge (1983);
  • Horace Wilkinson Bridge (1968);
  • Huey P. Long Bridge (1936);
  • Israel LaFleur Bridge (1964);
  • Sunshine Bridge (1963).

Massachusetts

  • Bourne Bridge (1935);
  • Sagamore Bridge (1935);
  • Tobin Bridge (northbound lower) (1950);
  • Tobin Bridge (southbound upper) (1950);

Michigan

  • Mackinac Bridge (1957);
  • New Hampshire
  • Memorial Bridge (1921).

New Jersey

  • Commodore Barry Bridge (1974);
  • Vincent R. Casciano (Newark Bay) Bridge (1955).

New York

  • Brooklyn Bridge (1883);
  • George Washington Bridge (1962);
  • Manhattan Bridge (1909);
  • Newburgh-Beacon Bridge (eastbound) (1980);
  • Newburgh-Beacon Bridge (westbound) (1963);
  • Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge (1960);
  • Outerbridge Crossing Bridge (1928);
  • Rip Van Winkle Bridge (1935);
  • Seaway International Bridge (1958);
  • Thousand Islands Bridge (1938);
  • Verrazano Narrows Bridge (eastbound) (1961);
  • Verrazano Narrows Bridge (westbound) (1961);
  • Williamsburg Bridge (1903).

Ohio

  • CUY-00002-1441 (Main Avenue) Bridge (1939);
  • CUY-00006-1456 (Detroit Avenue) Bridge (1917);
  • CUY-00010-1613 (Carnegie Avenue) Bridge (1932);
  • CUY-00490-0010 (I-490) Bridge (1990);
  • LUC-00002-1862 (Anthony Wayne) Bridge (1931);
  • LUC-01W02-0002 (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial) Bridge (1914).

Oregon

  • Astoria-Megler Bridge (1966);
  • St. Johns Bridge (1931);
  • Pennsylvania
  • Benjamin Franklin Bridge (1926);
  • Betsy Ross Bridge (1976);
  • Delaware River Turnpike Bridge (1956);
  • Walt Whitman Bridge (1957).

Rhode Island

  • Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge (1969).

Texas

  • Buffalo Bayou Toll Bridge (1980);
  • GulfGate Bridge (1970);
  • Hartman Bridge (eastbound) (1995);
  • Hartman Bridge (westbound) (1995);
  • Rainbow Bridge (1939);
  • Sidney Sherman Bridge (1973);
  • Veterans Memorial Bridge (1991).

Washington

  • Lewis and Clark Bridge (1929).

Wisconsin

  • Leo Frigo Bridge (1979).

The Key Bridge came crashing down on March 26, 2024, when the Singapore-flagged cargo ship Dali lost power and slammed into its support structure. 

Six construction workers were killed, and one other person was injured in the disaster.

The investigation found that Maryland officials never conducted a vulnerability assessment on the bridge, which experts say could have prevented the collapse or at least mitigated the risk.

The scene of the bridge collapse.

NTSB via YouTube

The NTSB cautioned that the report isn't about guessing which bridges are next, but to act now before another deadly incident.

"Had the Maryland Transportation Authority conducted a vulnerability assessment on the Key Bridge based on recent vessel traffic, MDTA would have been aware that the Key Bridge was above the acceptable risk and would have had information to proactively reduce the bridge’s risk of a collapse and loss of lives associated with a vessel collision with the bridge," investigators stated.

The complete report from the NTSB can be found here.

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