BALTIMORE, Md. - The Maryland Transportation Authority says it is actively reviewing recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board following the deadly crash involving the container ship DALI and the Francis Scott Key Bridge last year.
However, federal officials are urging risk assessments for dozens of bridges across 19 states, saying the MDTA failed to perform such an evaluation before the crash, according to NBC News.
The MDTA maintains that the catastrophe was caused solely by the DALI and the “gross negligence of her owners and operators who put profits above safety,” according to a statement.
In response to the NTSB's request, the MDTA says it will submit a formal update within 30 days, outlining any actions it plans to take based on an ongoing evaluation. That evaluation includes a review of pier protection systems, vessel transit procedures and operational changes for both the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the Bay Bridge.
MDTA said its assessment follows the methodology of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and had already begun when the NTSB requested findings last fall.
According to the agency, over the past five decades, hundreds of thousands of vessels have passed under the Key Bridge without a crash.
“The safety of Maryland highways and bridges is always a top priority for MDTA; over the last ten years, the State of Maryland has spent more than $175 million on safety and security for the Bay Bridge alone,” the agency said.