The Key Bridge Collapse– Through the Lens of Community Lifelines
This lifeline covers infrastructure, responder communications, alerts, warnings, messages, finance, 911, and dispatch. On April 16, 2024, Region 3 of the Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC) mobilized following the Baltimore bridge collapse. With the cleanup of Key Bridge debris and an estimated 178 containers remaining in the water, international ships were told they would remain docked for another month. Although the bridge collapse did not impact any responder or local community communications systems, there were foreign nationals who were suddenly without communications support. Initially, this lifeline could have been yellow to draw attention to this unmet need. ITDRC was providing telecommunications connectivity to the crews stranded on cargo ships stuck in port. As segments of navigable waterways were opening up around the bridge area – and the stranded Dali – the need for real-time hydrographic survey data required interagency partnerships and GIS data feeds communicated to third parties: the ship operators and others. As noted below, with the port fully open, there should be no more consequence management elements of communications systems interruptions and disruptions, so this lifeline would be green.
This lifeline has highway, roadway, motor vehicle, mass transit, railway, aviation, and maritime associated with it. Since Monday, June 10, 2024, the entire shipping channel to the Port of Baltimore has been open. While maritime activity has returned to a “new normal,” the highway, roadway, and motor vehicle travel on the section of I-695, where the bridge was, is still closed. Continued communications from the State of Maryland, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, and the City of Baltimore to the public are in place now to show alternatives for travel around the bridge. Restoring full capability to the entire Transportation Community Lifeline is the primary focal area of concern for the government. This lifeline was red initially and should remain red until the bridge is rebuilt.
