Major US bridge collapses in history caused by ships and barges
The US continues to reel at the terrible spectacle of the overnight bridge collapse in Baltimore. But it's not the first time such a disaster has occurred.
From 1960 to 2015, there were 35 major bridge collapses worldwide due to ship or barge collision, with a total of 342 people killed, according to a 2018 report from the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure.
Eighteen of those collapses happened in the US. These are some of the most notable - and tragic.
Big Bayout Canot: 47 dead
September 22, 1993
Barges being pushed by a towboat in dense fog hit and displaced the Big Bayou Canot railroad bridge near Mobile, Alabama.
Minutes later, an Amtrak train with 220 people aboard reached the displaced bridge and derailed, killing 47 people and injuring 103 people.
Sunshine Skyway Bridge: 35 dead
May 9, 1980
The 609-foot (185m) freighter Summit Venture was navigating through the narrow, winding shipping channel of Florida's Tampa Bay when a sudden, blinding squall knocked out the ship's radar.
The ship sheared off a support of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, dropping a 1400-foot (472m) section of concrete roadway during the morning rush hour.
Seven vehicles, including a bus with 26 aboard, fell 150 feet (46m) into the water.
Thirty-five people died.
Interstate 40: 14 dead
May 26, 2002
A barge hit the Interstate 40 bridge over the Arkansas River at Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, collapsing a 500-foot (about 150m) section of road and plunging vehicles into the water.
Fourteen people died and 11 were injured.
Queen Isabella Causeway: Eight dead
September 15, 2001
A tugboat and barge struck the Queen Isabella Causeway in Port Isabel, Texas, causing a midsection of the bridge to tumble 80 feet (24m) into the bay below.
Eight people died after motorists drove into the hole.
Seeber Bridge: One dead
May 28, 1993
The towboat Chris, pushing the empty hopper barge DM3021, hit a support tier of the Judge William Seeber Bridge in New Orleans.
Two spans and the two-column bent collapsed onto the barge. Two cars carrying three people fell with the four-lane bridge deck into a canal.
One person died and two people were seriously injured.
Eads Bridge: 50 injured
April 14, 1998
The Anne Holly tow traveling through the St Louis Harbour rammed into the center span of the Eads Bridge.
Eight barges broke away. Three of them hit a permanently moored gambling vessel below the bridge.
Fifty people suffered minor injuries.
Popp's Ferry Bridge: None hurt
March 20, 2009
A vessel pushing eight barges rammed into the Popp's Ferry Bridge in Biloxi, Mississippi, resulting in a 150-foot (about 46 metres) section of the bridge collapsing into the bay.
Francis Scott Key Bridge: One dead
March 26, 2024
One person has been confirmed dead amid a search for several others after a container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, buckling and collapsing the structure.
The ship is believed to have lost power before the collision and broadcast a mayday distress call.
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