US Coast Guard Begins Bridge Inquiry After Baltimore Collapse
The Facts
- In the aftermath of the deadly collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, the US Coast Guard announced on Wednesday at a House hearing that a nationwide board of inquiry is to be convened to evaluate whether other bridges are at risk.
- Vice Adm. Peter Gautier said that the increasing size and complexity of ships poses new challenges to marine transportation infrastructure, with other recent incidents raising further alarm over the vulnerability of bridges to other crashes.
- He detailed that the review will examine how the Coast Guard carries out port and waterways risk assessments around the country, as well as examining 10 large ports to determine lessons learned.
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The Spin
Left narrative
At the root of the Baltimore bridge collapse lies the endemic underfunding of infrastructure in the US, which will continue to magnify the consequences of disasters like the one in Baltimore. For decades, leaders in government and business have warned that a lack of investment in vital infrastructure will wreak havoc down the road, as regulators failed to keep up with the ever-growing scale of sea transport.
Right narrative
Instead of hosting an endless parade of hearings and committees on this disaster, America should turn to the private sector for solutions. The cumbersome process for winning contracts has made the US home to some of the most expensive and mediocre infrastructure projects in the developed world. Public-private partnerships would allow faster and cheaper constructions with the latest and safest materials, all without the need for red tape.
Metaculus Prediction
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