SAN DIEGO — In the wake of the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse, there are questions about the engineering and construction of other bridges around the country.
CBS 8 wanted to know more about the safety of the Coronado Bridge, and if there are any safety measures to prevent a disaster.
Baltimore's Key Bridge collapsed after it was struck by a massive cargo ship Tuesday.
"It's such a unique set of circumstances and such a tragedy. No one can anticipate such things happening," said Harshda Prasad, president of the Structural Engineers Association of San Diego.
Engineers say safety is always the priority when building these structures.
"We as engineers, our job has a lot to do with the safety of the public," said Nehemiah Mabry, a structural engineer.
Mabry says the Baltimore Bridge was built in the 1970s and Coronado Bridge was built in the 1960s. Structurally they're very different. He says the Coronado Bridge is a girder bridge while Baltimore's is a truss arch bridge.
"Referring to the diagonal parts of the metal and steel above and the arch is the shape. They're actually among the strongest free standing structures one could design," he said.
Yet the cargo ship hitting the support structures appeared to snap the bridge in Baltimore. Prasad says bridges just aren't built for this type of impact.
"Impact from such a big ship is not something you typically design for. The Coronado Bridge, large ships aren't allowed to go under it. There are separate shipping channels for those types of ships," Prasad said.
Caltrans responded to CBS 8 with a statement,
"Caltrans prioritizes the safety of all Californians by ensuring our bridges meet rigorous and strict seismic and safety standards. California’s bridges are safe for travel, and Caltrans has installed fender systems on all major bridges, further protecting bridge piers from the unlikely and rare event of being struck by marine traffic. All state-owned bridges are regularly inspected to ensure strict structural safety and have been seismically retrofitted to the highest national standards. Caltrans will review the incident in Maryland and address any findings that will help increase bridge safety in the future.”
Mabry says he believes the investigation in Baltimore will reveal a number of lessons and his thoughts and prayers are with those impacted.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected even in the least bit by this tragedy out in Baltimore and I'm pretty sure the authorities and those in charge will make the right decisions going forward," he said.
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