Walt Whitman, Ben Franklin bridges among 5 in Philadelphia area to be evaluated for collapse risk, NTSB says
Five bridges in the Philadelphia area should be evaluated for collapse risk a year after a ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to fall into Maryland's Patapsco River, according to the NTSB.
The NTSB wants 68 bridges across 19 states to get a "vulnerability assessment" to determine their risk of collapse if they were to be involved in a vessel collision. CBS News has published the whole list, which includes the Golden Gate Bridge in California and New York's Brooklyn Bridge.
It's important to note, being on the list doesn't mean the bridge is bound to collapse. Owners just need to evaluate whether the bridge meets the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' acceptable level of risk.
"What we are telling bridge owners is that they need to know the risks and determine what actions they need to take to ensure safety," said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. "I believe that they are very safe. We are very confident in the actions that we have taken to minimize hazards and risks."
Which Philadelphia-area bridges are on the list?
These are the five Philadelphia-area bridges that NTSB says will need an assessment:
- Benjamin Franklin Bridge, built in 1926
- Delaware River Turnpike Bridge, built in 1956
- Walt Whitman Bridge, built in 1957
- Commodore Barry Bridge, built in 1974
- Betsy Ross Bridge, built in 1976
Bridge owners have been tasked with evaluating whether the structures are above the acceptable level of risk.
The Delaware River Port Authority controls four of the local bridges. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority controls the Delaware River Turnpike Bridge, which connects the Pennsylvania and New Jersey turnpikes.
Three of the five bridges were listed as "critical/essential" in the report.
DRPA has since 2003 completed several hazard risk assessments that examine risks of vessel collisions, CEO John Hanson said. There are also protective fenders and dolphins in place, which can absorb vessel impacts in a way similar to bumpers on a car.
"Every bridge has pier protection. There are rock islands at the Commodore Barry Bridge. At the Walt Whitman, one of the piers is not in the water. The PA tower is protected by a dolphin and a timber fendering system," Hanson said.
Hanson also says that the Benjamin Franklin Bridge is protected by timber fendering systems and the Betsy Ross Bridge is protected by a system of dolphins.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission sent the following statement:
We just received this NTSB report and will be thoroughly reviewing it over the coming days. Safety is the Pennsylvania Turnpike's top priority, and we are committed to advancing safety in all aspects of our operations.
We've reached out to the DRPA and New Jersey Turnpike Authority for comment and are waiting to hear back.
What protective measures are in place on the bridges over the Delaware River?
In the wake of the Key Bridge collapse, CBS News Philadelphia's Joe Holden spoke to the DRPA about protective measures in place on local bridges.
DRPA officials said about two decades ago, officials realized the Commodore Barry Bridge needed a major safety upgrade — today, rock islands surround the supports of the bridge and would cause a vessel to run aground before striking the supports.
There are similar protections at the Betsy Ross Bridge.
Meanwhile, the Benjamin Franklin and Walt Whitman bridges have supports well out of the way of the main shipping channel that vessels travel through.
"There are structural steel towers that suspension cables are attached to that sit on a foundation and the water that they're is protected by a timber protection system, but it is too shallow for a ship to get into those areas," Hanson said at the time.
