Bridge that collapsed in Baltimore: several precedents in the United States (I)

A container ship hit a large bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to plunge into the river below.

From 1960 to 2015, 35 major bridges collapsed worldwide following a collision with a ship or barge, killing a total of 342 people, according to a 2018 report from the World Infrastructure Association waterborne transport infrastructure (World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure). Eighteen of these collapses occurred in the United States.

Here is a list of notable disasters involving ships or barges that struck bridges in the United States:

POPP'S FERRY BRIDGE

March 20, 2009: A ship pushing eight barges struck Popp's Ferry Bridge in Biloxi, Mississippi, causing a 150-foot section of the bridge to collapse into the bay.

INTERSTATE 40 BRIDGE: 14 DEAD

May 26, 2002: A barge struck the Interstate 40 bridge over the Arkansas River in Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, causing a 500-foot section of the road to collapse and plunging vehicles into the water . Fourteen people died and 11 were injured.

QUEEN ISABELLA CAUSEWAY: 8 DEAD

September 15, 2001: A tugboat and barge struck the Queen Isabella Causeway in Port Isabel, Texas, causing a midsection of the 80-foot bridge to fall into the bay below. Eight people died after motorists drove into the hole.

(to be continued)