This story was originally produced March 21, 2025 by the Portsmouth Herald. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
The Memorial Bridge has been identified as one of dozens of United States bridges that should be evaluated for risk of collapse from a vessel strike.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s Thursday report was released nearly one year after the fatal Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore that killed several construction workers. A massive cargo ship, the Dali, lost power and struck the major bridge, sending a significant portion of it toppling into the Patapsco River.
Among the 68 bridges named for risk assessment are the Memorial Bridge and several iconic structures, including the Tobin Bridge in Boston, the Golden Gate Bridge in California, the Chicago Skyway Calumet River Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City.
“Today’s report does not suggest that the 68 bridges are certain to collapse,” the National Transportation Safety Board wrote on Thursday. “The NTSB is recommending that these 30 bridge owners evaluate whether the bridges are above the (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) acceptable level of risk. The NTSB recommended that bridge owners develop and implement a comprehensive risk reduction plan if the calculations indicate a bridge has a risk level above the (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) threshold.”
