'Risk Of Collapse' Evaluation Ordered For These NYC Bridges

NEW YORK CITY — As the National Transportation Safety Board continues its investigation into the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland, the safety administration has identified numerous bridges that are also at risk of collapse should a vessel collide with them.

As a result of the investigation, the NTSB is recommending that 68 bridges — including six in New York City — undergo a vulnerability assessment to determine the risk of collapse.

The NTSB this week released a report on the March 2024 Maryland incident that documented dozens of other bridges across the nation they say have "unknown levels of risk of collapse" from vessel collisions.

In New York City, the following bridges are recommended to undergo a risk assessment: The Verrazzano Narrows Bridge (both eastbound and westbound), the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge, the Williamsburg Bridge, the George Washington Bridge, and the Outerbridge Crossing.

The NTSB is recommending the bridge owners — the New York City DOT, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and MTA Bridges and Tunnels — calculate the annual frequency of collapse for the structures using the Method II calculation from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

If a bridge exceeds that risk threshold, it is considered high risk, according to the NTSB. The owners must inform the NTSB whether the probability of collapse is above the threshold.

"Today’s report does not suggest that the 68 bridges are certain to collapse. The NTSB is recommending that these 30 bridge owners evaluate whether the bridges are above the AASHTO acceptable level of risk. The NTSB recommended that bridge owners develop and implement a comprehensive risk reduction plan, if the calculations indicate a bridge has a risk level above the AASHTO threshold," the NTSB said.

A date by which the assessments must be complete was not immediately clear.

The AASHTO Guide Specifications classify bridges as either "critical/essential," which designates crossings that "serve as important links" on the Strategic Highway Network, or as "typical." Here are the classifications for these six NYC bridges:

• Verrazzano Narrows Bridge, built 1961: Critical/essential
• Brooklyn Bridge, built 1883: Typical
• Manhattan Bridge, built 1909: Typical
• Williamsburg Bridge, built 1903: Typical
• George Washington Bridge, built 1962: Typical
• Outerbridge Crossing, built 1928: Typical

Patch's Max Bennett contributed to this article.