The other eight bridges in the United States are at risk of suffering a tragedy like the one in Baltimore

in United Statethe last tragedy Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimoree, as the collapse was caused by the collision of a huge ship, raised the alarm about the vulnerability of similar structures across the country. This incident revealed a troubling fact about the nation's infrastructure: a select number of bridges share design characteristics that make them vulnerable to accidents of similar magnitude.

There are eight bridges that The Wall Street Journal They are highlighted as weak, in addition to noting that they are closely related to the transportation system. These are: Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington; he Lewis and Clark BridgeWhat's the connection? Oregon with Washington; he St. John's Bridge in Oregon; he San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in California; he the Golden Gate Bridge in California; he George Washington Bridgewhich acts as a link between New Jersey And New York; he Verrazano Narrows Bridge in New York; And the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland.

These structures share the peculiarity of having critical fracture elements, i.e. steel components that in tension, if they fail, could cause the collapse of the entire bridge. This type of design, although it does not make it unsafe in itself, does require special and detailed, sometimes annual, inspections to ensure the integrity of the structure.

However, the fact is that all but one of these bridges are older than those bridges Key Bridge It still contains such vital components, highlighting the urgent need to re-evaluate and perhaps update security measures.

Protection from ship impacts is a central issue in this context. Although current federal guidelines require bridges over waterways to be protected from potential ship strikes, many of the bridges mentioned were built before these standards were introduced.

Although some, e.g Sunshine Skyway Bridgehave been rebuilt with improved safety features such as shock-absorbing barriers, and others still lack such modifications, increasing their vulnerability to accidents similar to those that occurred in Scott Key Bridge.

cases Tacoma Narrows Bridge And the Lewis and Clark Bridge, among other things, symbolism; Both are integral parts of their regions' transportation systems and have designs that have stood the test of time. However, the increasing size and capacity of commercial ships requires constant review and updating of safety measures to prevent future disasters.

When analyzing the landscape, it is clear that maintaining and upgrading these critical infrastructures is not only a matter of public safety, but also of economic importance. Trade routes and the flow of goods depend largely on the safety of these bridges. Investing in collision protection systems, as well as updating designs according to current needs, is becoming increasingly necessary.

The call to action is clear. As we move into the future, it is critical that proactive measures are taken to ensure that tragedies like the one that occurred do not occur Francis Scott Key Bridge They stay in the past.

The safety of our infrastructure is vital to the nation's security and prosperity. Lessons learned from this and other similar accidents should guide our decisions and actions toward a more flexible and safe approach to the design and maintenance of bridges and other critical structures.