'Risk Of Collapse' Evaluation Ordered For 4 Philly-Area Bridges

PHILADELPHIA — 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 four in the Philadelphia region — 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 the Philadelphia region, the following bridges are recommended to undergo a risk assessment: the Walt Whitman Bridge, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, the Betsy Ross Bridge, and the Delaware River Turnpike Bridge.

All are deemed "critical/essential" bridges, except for the Betsy Ross Bridge, which is listed as "typical."

The oldest of the four is the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, having been built in 1926. The Betsy Ross Bridge is the newest; it was built in 1976.

The NTSB is recommending the bridge owners — which is the Delaware River Port Authority for the Ben Franklin, Betsy Ross, and Walt Whitman bridges, while the Delaware River Turnpike Bridge is owned jointly by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and New Jersey Turnpike Authority — calculate the annual frequency of collapse for the structures using the Method II calculation from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

"We just received this NTSB report and will be thoroughly reviewing it over the coming days," a Pennsylvania Turnpike Representative told Patch in an email. "Safety is the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s top priority, and we are committed to advancing safety in all aspects of our operations."

If a bridge exceeds that risk threshold, it is considered high risk, according to 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.