US Safety Probe Identifies 12 Bridges Vulnerable to Catastrophic Ship Collisions

Federal safety officials identify 12 major US bridges at risk of collapse from ship strikes, but high costs and funding delays stall urgent repairs for years.

By: AXL Media

Published: Feb 23, 2026, 3:45 AM EST

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Politic

The Growing Crisis of Vulnerable Waterway Infrastructure

National safety investigators have flagged a dozen critical highway bridges across the United States as being at high risk for catastrophic collapse if struck by modern cargo vessels. This revelation comes nearly two years after the tragic 2024 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which claimed six lives. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has found that many older structures are ill equipped to handle the massive scale of contemporary shipping traffic, leaving major metropolitan areas vulnerable to similar disasters.

Among the structures listed as exceeding the acceptable level of risk are the Chesapeake Bay Bridge spans in Maryland, the Benjamin Franklin and Walt Whitman bridges connecting Philadelphia to New Jersey, and the Coronado Bridge in San Diego. These findings have sparked a debate between federal oversight bodies and local bridge owners regarding who is responsible for the billions of dollars required for protective upgrades.

High Costs and Multiyear Timelines Stymie Progress

While the risks are well documented, the financial and logistical reality of fixing these bridges is daunting. Many states face a lack of immediate funding and significant hurdles in planning. For instance, replacing the 4.3 mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland could cost upwards of $15 billion, with construction potentially not starting until 2032. Even smaller scale protective measures, such as installing concrete pier fenders, come with price tags ranging from $100 million to $150 million per bridge.

Local authorities argue that they cannot solve a national maritime problem using only local budgets. Bridge owners in Philadelphia have indicated they are seeking a mix of local funds and federal grants to finance their 60 percent complete design plans for pier protection. However, without a dedicated federal funding stream, many of these projects remain in a state of planning rather than execution.