Remembrance and rebirth
Well, today was the day. One year ago to this day Baltimore’s Key Bridge was destroyed early in the morning darkness. There has been even more content about this showing up on various local (and some national) media. Some of this concerns memorials for the victims, while others discuss blame for the disaster and effects it has had on people. Still, others highlight very valid concerns about the same thing happening to other bridges, especially with regards to the Key Bridge’s surviving neighbor, the Bay Bridge.
But there were a couple of articles that stood out to me and piqued my interest. One of these reiterated lots of what has already been said about the yet to be built bridge, but it did mention something that caught my eye.
https://www.marketplace.org/2025/03/24/baltimore-key-bridge-rebuild-100-year-life-span/
This is the claim that the new bridge is to be built in such a way as to last at least 100 years. I have some problems with that claim. The first thing I wonder is if the builder will put that in writing. Imagine trying to guarantee that something will last that long! There are some bridges around of that vintage and even older, but they are the exception rather than the rule. Plus, all of them were built in a time when so many things were much more well made. Most modern structures simply don’t last that long. Or, those that do must undergo some very intensive care in order to survive. The Golden Gate Bridge is a great example of this – it is quite high maintenance and requires much upkeep. But at least with a bridge of that type, it is possible to access and replace parts as necessary. Not so much with those structural elements encased forever in concrete… This is not unlike so many other things made more recently. Everything from cars to home appliances are, in general, less well built, and more difficult to repair. Needless to say I have little faith in the claim of any bridge being built today lasting 100 years or more. Of course, not that it matters. Unless it is somehow again struck down in a disaster, the new Key Bridge will most likely be here after I’m gone. As for a builder’s warranty, if there is indeed one, a warranty is only as good as the company that issues it. Once the company goes out of business, any such claims are worthless. And then, no one knows what will happen a century from now. All bets are off on guessing the future.
Finally, there was the second article, found in a local paper, which details some of the behind the scenes progress of the design. https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/economy/key-bridge-rebuild-underway-office-park-T3Y737LUQRHOZKB5SQB73F3D
This was an interview of one of the state’s engineers who is a participant in the rebuilding effort. It appears from this article that they are fairly far along with the creation of the new monster, at least in so far as making models of it. Most of this is done on computers but they did show a scale model of sections of the monster. The article also noted that some of Frankenstein’s minions and Igor’s co-workers have relocated here to the area to work on the engineering and design. Apparently some come and go from the Nebraskan castle laboratory but others have set up their base of operations in the vicinity for the duration of the job. The scale model section (one of the towers) that was shown in the article is remarkably similar to that of another monster that freaked me out several years ago – the Talmadge Memorial Bridge in Savannah. Little did I know some fifteen years ago that a larger copy of that weird looking bridge would one day appear in my own figurative backyard!
But anyway, the gist of that interview is that the monster currently already exists, if only in a computer program and as scale models.
Finally, if you are interested, here are some links to other articles and videos about the Key Bridge.
The building of the original Key Bridge
https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/maryland-francis-scott-key-bridge-collapse-video-rebuild/