The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has identified the Coronado Bridge as one of 68 bridges nationwide that require an assessment to determine if they are at risk of collapsing if struck by a vessel.  

 

In a new report, the NTSB found that the Coronado Bridge, owned by CalTrans, does not have a vulnerability assessment in place in the event of a collision.  

 

The report comes in response to last year’s collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which resulted in the deaths of six construction workers.  

 

The study analyzed major bridges built before 1991 over navigable waters where large ocean vessels travel. The Coronado Bridge was among the 68 identified, along with the Golden Gate Bridge, the Huey Long Bridge near New Orleans, and the Brooklyn Bridge.  

 

“The 30 owners of 68 bridges over navigable waterways frequented by ocean-going vessels are likely unaware of their bridges’ risk of catastrophic collapse from a vessel collision and the potential need to implement countermeasures to reduce the bridges’ vulnerability,” the report states.  

 

CalTrans assured that its bridges meet strict safety standards and have been seismically reinforced. It also emphasized that all state-owned bridges are regularly inspected and equipped with protective systems to safeguard them against maritime impacts. The agency is reviewing the report’s recommendations and will respond once its evaluation is complete.