DALI

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

11 crew members still stuck in Baltimore

11 higher ranked crew members of the 'Dali' are still stuck inBaltimore, one year after the allision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26, 2025. The sailors have been asked to stay while the incident is still being investigated by the Federal authorities. Ten other crew members were sent home in June. The affected crew members, who are mainly from India, have spent the past year in hotels. Synergy Marine, the company behind the 'Dali', has been paying the crew’s living expenses and salaries since they were accomodated there. The US has given three crew members permission to return to India temporarily for urgent matters, such as a medical procedure and a wedding. Some of the crew members’ families have come to Baltimore to visit them.

NTSB: Baltimore Key Bridge collapse risk was 30 times above acceptable zhreshold

On March 20, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed following the 'Dali' allided with it, had a risk level nearly 30 times above the acceptable threshold for critical bridges. The agency has identified 68 bridges across 19 states that require immediate vulnerability assessments, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Verrazano Narrows Bridge, and Greater New Orleans Bridge, among others. These bridges, all designed before current safety guidelines were established, were lacking current vulnerability assessments for allision risks. The NTSB recommended that 30 bridge owners should evaluate their structures against American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) acceptable risk levels. The Maryland Transportation Authority (MTDA) failed to conduct a recommended vulnerability assessment, developed in response to the 1980 Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster in Tampa, Florida, which would have revealed concerning findings about the Key Bridge’s condition. Had they ran the calculation on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the MDTA would’ve been aware that the bridge was almost 30 times greater than the risk threshold AASHTO sets for critical essential Bridges. 30 times greater- Not only did the MDTA fail to conduct the vulnerability assessment on the Key Bridge, but also did not provide, nor were they able to provide, the NTSB with the data needed to conduct the assessment, including the characteristics of vessel traffic passing under the bridge, vessel transit speeds, vessel loading characteristics, waterway and navigable channel geometry, water depth, environmental conditions, bridge geometry, pier protection systems, and ultimate lateral capacity of the bridge piers. In total, the NTSB has issued four urgent safety recommendations to select bridge owners, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the US Coast Guard, and the US Army Corps of Engineers to safeguard bridges from vessel strikes, part of an interim accident report released today. Recent findings from the NTSB also have uncovered critical details about the 'Dali'’s power failure. Preliminary investigations revealed that electrical breakers HR1 and LR1 unexpectedly tripped when the vessel was approximately three ship lengths from the bridge, resulting in a total blackout. NTSB investigators discovered an interruption in the control circuit for HR1’s undervoltage release system. The investigation has also brought to light that the 'Dali' suffered two separate power blackouts the day before the incident. The first occurred when a crew member accidentally blocked the generator’s exhaust gas stack, while the second was attributed to insufficient fuel pressure. The NTSB’s recommendations extend beyond individual bridge assessments. The agency was calling for an interdisciplinary team comprising the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide guidance on risk evaluation and reduction strategies. Since 1994, the Federal Highway Administration has required new bridges to be designed with consideration for vessel collision risks. However, the Key Bridge, constructed before these requirements, fell outside these modern safety standards. The NTSB’s investigation into the accident was continuing. The NTSB interim report can be found here: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MIR2510.pdf

Design for Maryland's new Key Bridge unveiled nearly a year after Dali accident

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) unveiled the design for the new Francis Scott Key Bridge almost a year after it was hit by the 'Dali', causing it to collapse. "Today, we take an important step toward recovering from the tragic Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse that has affected not just Maryland's economy, but the nation's economy. While we mark the unveiling of the new bridge design, we continue to honor the six Marylanders who lost their lives while serving our state and their families who carry their legacy forward. Together, we will show the world what it means to be Maryland Tough and Baltimore Strong," said Governor Moore. The proposed bridge design honors the architectural tradition of the original Key Bridge. The new bridge will also be constructed in accordance with the most advanced industry standards and the very best in infrastructure design, usng the best materials available and employ many Marylanders to build it. The cable stay design of the new bridge will allow the federal shipping channel to expand from 700 ft. to 1,000 ft. wide. The base of the bridge will also be raised to 230 ft., which is a 45-foot increase to accommodate ship traffic. The roadway will still be two lanes wide going in each direction. Other pier support structures will be implemented to secure the structure. In spring 2025, demolition will begin to remove the remaining pillars of the old Francis Scott Key Bridge. Immediately after that, construction will begin. In Nov 2024, the former president included money for the Key Bridge in a $100 billion disaster fund request sent to Congress. By Dec, Maryland lawmakers announced that federal funding would cover the full cost of rebuilding the bridge as quickly as possible. The provision also ensures that the federal taxpayers will be reimbursed through proceeds from insurance payments and litigation taken on by the Department of Justice, the Maryland Attorney General and others. In August 2024, the MDTA approved a $73 million contract with Kiewit Infrastructure Company for the design and construction of a new bridge. Pre-construction began in Jan 2025, and the rebuild is expected to be completed by fall 2028. Kiewit Infrastructure estimated that the project will cost about $2 billion. The pre-construction activities include inspecting about 1,100 homes and businesses in nearby communities, scanning the riverbed, collecting soil samples and surveying. In January, the MDTA also approved a $75 million contract with the Bridging Maryland Partnership for General Engineering Consultant services. The partnership will perform planning, engineering, construction, management and program support for the rebuild project. Report with photo and video: https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/maryland-key-bridge-collapse-design-new-construction/