There is heartbreak felt in Connecticut for the construction workers and residents impacted by the Baltimore bridge collapse.
“It’s just an absolute tragedy, the imagery is stark,” CT Department of Transportation spokesperson Josh Morgan said. “The men and women who work on infrastructure around the country are putting their lives on the line every time they go out there.”
The Francis Scott Key Bridge came crumbling down after it was hit by a large cargo ship overnight in Maryland.
“Anytime I see a massive bridge collapse like that, it is heart wrenching,” University of New Haven Tagliatela College of Engineering Dean Ron Harichandran said. “It could have been very difficult for any bridge to survive that kind of impact.”
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
Closer to home in Connecticut, the state DOT oversees about 5,400 bridges.
Morgan said a similar catastrophe is not likely in Connecticut for two reasons - there aren’t large container ships traveling through state waterways and the infrastructure of bridges is different.
“The closest comparable one here in Connecticut would most likely be the Gold Star Memorial Bridge between New London and Groton but really the ports that are out there in New London, the marine traffic is just so much different,” Morgan said.
Local
Several Connecticut bridges have fenders which are designed to protect and prevent impact from boats.
“Basically devices that will limit if there is a bridge strike, any impact to those critical components,” Morgan said.
“The bridges are made to withstand the impact of smaller boats,” Harichandran said.
Under federal requirements, Connecticut bridges are inspected every other year.
“If there was a bridge that was rated poor, maybe there was something that needed to get addressed, there would be more frequent inspections,” Morgan said.
