DOJ Says Baltimore Bridge Collapse ‘Entirely Avoidable,’ Sues for $100M

The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit in response to the March collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, claiming the disaster was “entirely avoidable” and now seeks $100 million to cover cleanup costs.
The bridge collapsed on March 26 after a cargo ship lost power and struck the bridge, resulting in the deaths of six maintenance workers. It took six weeks for authorities to recover the bodies of all who died in the bridge collapse, and the FBI and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have since launched an investigation into the collapse.
The crew members aboard the cargo ship, called Dali, were uninjured in the collapse.
According to federal officials on Wednesday the collapse, which sent shockwaves through the local community, could have been prevented, and is seeking $100 million to cover cleanup costs.
It comes as there are currently plans underway to rebuild the Key Bridge, a project expected to last until 2028, which Maryland officials from the Department of Transportation estimated will cost between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, according to the Associated Press.
The bridge failure has not only disrupted transportation but also raised serious concerns about infrastructure management and accountability.
Newsweek has reached out to the DOJ via email form for comment.
The lawsuit comes after the NTSB released a preliminary report in May about the vessel that hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge, including details on the ship’s electrical outages and power loss a day prior.
The NTSB worked with the Maryland Transportation Authority, Synergy Marine Group, Grace Ocean Private Limited, Federal Highway Administration, Association of Maryland Pilots, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore on the investigation.
The Dali, a 947-foot-long Singapore-flagged cargo vessel, was moving out of the Baltimore Harbor shortly before 1:30 am on March 26. It contained 4,680 containers of cargo and was headed to Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The captain reported the ship was in working order during the master/pilot exchange, according to the preliminary report.
At 1:25 a.m., the Dali was 0.6 miles, or three ship lengths, from the Francis Scott Key Bridge when “electrical breakers that most of the vessel’s equipment and lighting unexpectedly opened (tripped),” according to the report.
“This caused the first blackout (loss of electrical power) to all shipboard lighting and most equipment, including the main engine cooling water pumps (which controlled engine cooling water pressure) and steering gear pumps,” the report reads.
About 31 seconds after the second blackout, the crew manually restored the power.
However, at 1:29 a.m., the Dali struck the pier of the Francis Key Bridge at 6.5 knots, or about 7.5 mph.
“The crew regained electrical power before the vessel struck the pier but was unable to regain propulsion,” the report reads.
The US Coast Guard classified the March 26 accident as a major marine casualty.
The designation of major marine casualty is given if a situation includes the loss of six or more lives; the loss of a mechanically propelled vessel of 100 or more gross tons; property damage initially estimated to be $500,000 or more; or a serious threat to life, property or the environment as determined by the Commandant of the Coast Guard.
Almost 60 of the 4,680 containers on the vessel contained hazardous materials. The NTSB identified 14 of those that may have been damaged when the bridge was struck.
There have been 23,814 marine casualties reported between January 2014 and December 2022, according to the European Maritime Safety Agency. The annual average is 2,646 reports.