The recent collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore after being struck by a container ship is both a human tragedy and an economic disaster. Six construction workers doing repair work on the bridge lost their lives when it plunged into the cold Patapsco River. The wreckage of the bridge now sits in the channel that connects Baltimore Harbor to the Chesapeake Bay, effectively closing the Port of Baltimore. Joe Kane, a fellow in Brookings Metro, talks about the economic impacts of the disaster and prospects for rebuilding the bridge.
Transcript
DEWS: This is The Current, part of the Brookings Podcast Network. I’m your host, Fred Dews.
The recent collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after being struck by a container ship is both a human tragedy and an economic disaster. Six construction workers doing repair work on the bridge span in the early morning hours lost their lives when the bridge plunged into the cold Patapsco River. They were immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.
The Brookings Institution
Joseph W. Kane and Fred Dews
March 28, 2024