Owners of endangered highway bridges around the country have taken few immediate steps to fortify them from catastrophic accidents, a POLITICO review has found nearly two years after the deadly collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The federal probe of the March 2024 disaster has brought new attention to a host of dangers facing many older highway bridges, including a higher risk of collapse or serious damage for many of them if they are struck by a cargo ship.
While some of these bridge owners are seeking solutions, a lack of money and logistical hurdles have kept Congress, state governments and the bridges’ owners from offering quick fixes for a dozen crucial bridges, including in cities such as Philadelphia and New Orleans…