This Bridge was part of Interstate 695 known as the Baltimore Beltway.
I-695 is the route many trucks took to avoid the Fort McHenry Tunnel on I-95.
The bridge is named after Francis Scott Key who was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet from Frederick, Maryland, best known as the author of the text of the U.S. national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Key observed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814 during the War of 1812
This is an incredibly important roadway and bridge. This will adversely affect commerce from Washington, DC all the way up to New York City and even to Boston.
The bridge spanning the Baltimore Harbor and shipping channels was a vital connection for communities and transporting goods and people across waterways. It had four lanes and a speed limit of 55 mph, ensuring smooth traffic flow while adhering to safety standards. The bridge carried an estimated 11.5 million vehicles annually, with an average daily traffic of 31,500 vehicles.
As a result of this catastrophe, the Port of Baltimore is now CLOSED. No ships in or out.
What this translates to is serious:
Baltimore is a big port. The Port’s private and public terminals handled 847,158 autos and light trucks in 2023, the most of any U.S. port for the thirteenth straight year.
In 2023, the Port ranked first in the nation in handling automobiles, light trucks, farm and construction machinery, as well as imported sugar and gypsum. The Port ranked second in the country for exporting coal. In 2022, the Port ranked sixth for importing coffee, 119,000 tons worth $609 million. “
Overall, the Port of Baltimore is the 11th most important Port in America.
Baltimore Port lies close to the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, the eastern part of the U.S, on the Patapsco River, making it one of the busiest ports and industrial centers in the region.
Along its 72 km long shoreline lies 5 public and 12 private terminals, handling general merchandise, dry and liquid bulk commodities, containerized cargo, etc. The port handles 37,850,000 tons of cargo, 632,000 TEU and 252,000 passengers annually.
The Port of Maryland has the deepest harbor in Chesapeake Bay. It is also closer to the Midwest than any other East Coast Port and also just an overnight drive of one-third of the country’s population.
The Port of Baltimore, responsible for 25% of the country’s coal exports.
According to Ship Finder, as shown on the map below, the vessel which struck the bridge is named the “DALI” flagged out of Singapore.
Reports indicate upwards of twenty highway workers, who were on the bridge when it collapsed, are “missing.”
Baltimore Fire Dispatch has stated that 7 Construction Workers and 3-4 Civilian Vehicles are still Missing following the Collapse
UH OH . . . . According to BalticShipping.com, this vessel had two Masters. One an Oiler/motorman, the other:
Direct Link to BalticShipping.com (HERE)
WAR SABOTAGE?
This would be the number one port to take out if there was going to be a war in Europe. Port of Baltimore is the largest port in the US for specialized cargo (specifically for wheeled cargo, such as trucks and trailers) and bulk handling facilities. You know, like Roll-on Roll-off to load tanks, tracked vehicles, etc.
One aspect to this incident that makes it VERY suspect is the rule which requires:
“”Each ship engaged in foreign trade coming to Maryland ports is required to take on a local ship handling specialist, known as the Pilot, to navigate the vessel safely into port.”
CYBER ATTACK?
The Internet is now ablaze with concerns the ship may have been cyber-attacked. About one minute before the collision, all the lights on the ship go out. They come back on, and suddenly, the ship veers sharply to its right, directly TOWARD the bridge support-piling. The vessels’ lights go out AGAIN, and when they return, the ship seems to try to steer sharply left, but the impact takes place.
Internet users are theorizing the ship was cyber-attacked. Hacked. But this is just a THEORY. Below is just one example of the theories blazing the Internet right now.
What else could explain the complete failure of ALL safety systems aboard that vessel, and within the port?
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), FBI, and U.S. Coast Guard are on scene.
The Governor of Maryland has declared a State of Emergency.
#BREAKINGNEWS #maryland #baltimore #Keybridge collapses after contact with cargo ship pic.twitter.com/A1LmKwZxkX
— Hayward Jablomi (@HaywerdJablomi) March 26, 2024
{Via Lara Logan on X}
Multiple intel sources: Baltimore bridge collapse was an “absolutely brilliant strategic attack” on US critical infrastructure – most likely cyber – & our intel agencies know it.
In information warfare terms, they just divided the US along the Mason Dixon line exactly like the Civil War. Second busiest strategic roadway in the nation for hazardous material now down for 4-5 years – which is how long they say it will take to recover.
Bridge was built specifically to move hazardous material – fuel, diesel, propane gas, nitrogen, highly flammable materials, chemicals and oversized cargo that cannot fit in the tunnels – that supply chain now crippled. Make no mistake: this was an extraordinary attack in terms of planning, timing & execution.
The two critical components on that bridge are the two load-bearing pylons on each end, closest to the shore. They are bigger, thicker and deeper than anything else. These are the anchor points and they knew that hitting either one one of them would be a fatal wound to the integrity of the bridge.
Half a mile of bridge went in the river – likely you will have to build a new one. Also caused so much damage to the structural integrity of the bottom concrete part that you cannot see & won’t know until they take the wreckage apart. Structural destruction likely absolute. Attack perfectly targeted.
“They have figured out how to bring us down. As long as you stay away from the teeth of the US military, you can pick the US apart. We are arrogant and ignorant – lethal combination. Obama said they would fundamentally change America and they did. We are in a free-fall ride on a roller coaster right now – no brakes – just picking up speed.”
The footage shows the cargo ship never got in the approach lane in the channel. You have to be in the channel before you get into that turn. Location was precise/deliberate: chose a bend in the river where you have to slow down and commit yourself – once you are committed in that area there is not enough room to maneuver.
Should have had a harbor pilot to pilot the boat. You are not supposed to traverse any obstacles without the harbor pilot. They chose a full moon so they would have maximum tidal shift – rise and fall. Brisk flow in that river on a normal day & have had a lot of rain recently so water was already moving along at a good pace.
Hit it with enough kinetic energy to knock the load-bearing pylon out from under the highway – which fatally weakens the span and then 50 percent of the bridge fell into the water. All these factors when you look at it – this is how you teach people how to do this type of attack and there are so few people left in the system who know this. We have a Junior varsity team on the field. Tremendous navigational obstruction. Huge logistical nightmare to clean this up. Number of dead is tragic but not the whole measure of the attack.
That kind-of bridge constantly under repair – always at night because there is so much traffic and they cannot obstruct that during the day. So concern is for repair guys who were on foot (out of their vehicles) working who may now be in the water – 48 degrees at most at this time of year.
When you choke off Baltimore you have cut the main north-south hazardous corridor (I95) in half. Now has to go around the city – or go somewhere else. To move some of that cargo through the tunnel you may be able to get a permit but those are slow to get and require an escort system that is expensive and has to be done at night. For every $100 dollars that goes into the city, $12 comes from shipping. Believe this will cripple the city of Baltimore at a time when they do not have the resources to recover.
