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Key Bridge collapse: What we know about structure’s history, traffic

Francis Scott Key Bridge opened in 1977 and spanned the Patapsco River in Baltimore.   (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun )
By Tony Roberts The Baltimore Sun

BALTIMORE — Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning after a support column was struck by a vessel, sending cars into the Patapsco River, launching a search-and-rescue operation and prompting Gov. Wes Moore to declare a state of emergency.

Here’s what you should know about the Francis Scott Key bridge:

What is the history of the bridge’s name?

The Francis Scott Key Bridge is named for Francis Scott Key the author of the Star Spangled Banner. The site of the bridge is believed to be within 100 yards of where Key saw the bombing of Fort McHenry on Sept. 12, 1814 which inspired the words for what became the National Anthem.

The battle at Fort McHenry was a key victory over British forces during the War of 1812. The American flag raised on Sept. 14, 1814 celebrated the victory and inspired the words “broad stripes and bright stars” in Key’s song.

When was the bridge open?

Construction for the 1.6-mile Francis Scott Key Bridge started in 1972 and it opened on March 23, 1977.

In the 1960s, the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel reached its traffic capacity, leading the state to conceive of and build the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The bridge was the final link for the Baltimore Beltway I-695.

The steel bridge is one of the Baltimore harbor’s three toll crossings. It’s located on the I-695 outer-harbor crossing. It’s part of a 10.9 miles long beltway span including a dual-span drawbridge over Curtis Creek and two parallel bridge structures carrying traffic over Bear Creek, according to MDTA.

How many people used the bridge?

The bridge, which cost about $110 million in the 1970s, was seen as an efficient alternative because it has lower operating and maintenance cost as well as more traffic lanes than the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel.

The bridge carried more than 12.4 million commercial and passenger vehicles in 2023, according to a Maryland state government report issued last November.

The Key Bridge allows wide loads and hazardous material that can’t go through the Harbor Tunnel or Fort McHenry Tunnel. Currently, vehicles transporting hazardous materials are prohibited in tunnels and “should use the western section of I-695 around tunnels,” the MDTA posted on social media.

What was the economic impact of the bridge?

With the collapse of the Key Bridge, one of Maryland’s major sources of personal and business revenues is at a halt.

The Port of Baltimore has created about 15,300 direct jobs, with nearly 140,000 jobs linked to port activities, according to a statement from Gov. Wes Moore in a February news release.

Moore said in the statement the port ranks first among the nation’s ports for volume of autos and light trucks, roll on/roll off heavy farm and construction machinery, imported sugar and imported gypsum.

The Port of Baltimore handled 847,158 cars and light trucks in 2023 which led other all other ports in the nation in the 13th consecutive year, according to the February release.