The San Diego-Coronado Bridge is one of 68 across the nation that was recommended to be assessed for collapse risk if it were to be struck by a vessel.
The National Transportation Safety Board recommended the assessments as a part of its ongoing investigation into the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore nearly a year ago.
This does not mean that the Coronado Bridge is an active collapse risk: Rather, it made the list because it was built prior to guidance established by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).
Baltimore’s Key Bridge was almost 30 times above the acceptable risk threshold for critical or essential bridges established by AASHTO when it was struck by a containership on March 26, 2024 and subsequently collapsed.
Now, the NTSB is recommending that 68 bridges that were built prior to AASHTO guidance be assessed for potential vulnerability.
In 1991, AASHTO developed a vulnerability assessment calculation for all new bridges on the National Highway System. Construction of the Coronado Bridge began in 1967 and concluded in 1969. It is owned by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
The vulnerability assessment was the result of the NTSB’s investigation of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapse in Florida. Since 1994, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has required new bridges be designed to mitigate collapse risk in the event of a vessel collision.
