The terrible, metal-twisting, stomach-churning collapse of the suspension portion of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the 1.6-mile-long link between Dundalk and Hawkins Point over the Patapsco River, after a support column was struck by the container ship Dali early Tuesday morning has left Baltimoreans — and many others around the globe — stunned and disbelieving.
For 47 years, that bridge on the southeast side of the Baltimore Beltway has been an iconic landmark, not just as a way to skirt Baltimore’s often congested harbor tunnels or a convenience for tractor-trailers serving the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore, but for its extraordinary view of the bustling port and the tidal waters of both the river and the Chesapeake Bay far to the east. To watch it collapse so quickly, as captured on a now well-circulated video, is both shocking and yet emblematic of our social media-driven online video sharing age. Of course, the world would see this disaster within minutes of its unfolding — long before explanations could be offered or even victims accounted for.
There are many questions to be answered in the days ahead. The hows and whys and what-ifs that inevitably follow an apparent accident involving an enormous ship veering so far off course. We will grieve for the victims, offer comfort to their families and soon direct ourselves to the important task of returning vessel traffic to the port, which handles $74 billion in cargo annually and is responsible for more than 15,000 direct jobs. It would be difficult to overstate the port’s importance to the local economy. After victims are accounted for and investigators have completed their duties — but long before officials face the arduous and potentially costly labor of rebuilding or replacing the bridge — there is the daunting task of clearing the debris and reopening the shipping channel.
There are a lot of moving parts here, but this disaster also unhappily coincides with the ongoing political standoff among Democrats in Annapolis over the $63 billion state budget and particularly whether the state’s transportation trust fund, which faces a long-term multi-billion-dollar deficit, should be augmented, chiefly with new and higher fees ranging from an increase in the vehicle excise tax to a new 75-cent ride-sharing fee.
The House of Delegates has supported the fee increases. The state Senate and Democratic Gov. Wes Moore have generally opposed them. As important an undertaking as this correction in the state’s fiscal path has been — including the assurance of continued funding of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future school reforms — it now appears the Maryland General Assembly has little choice but to defer many of these decisions until next year. Lawmakers are on the clock. The budget must be approved by this coming Monday, one week before the 90-day legislative session ends on April 8.
Some Democrats who may think this allows them to skirt some tough choices should reconsider that view. The political ramifications of this decision are debatable. As much as approving higher taxes in 2024 might have fed the narrative of Republicans like former Gov. Larry Hogan, now a U.S. Senate candidate who portrays himself as a prudent fiscal manager but who greatly contributed to the transportation shortfall with higher spending without corresponding new revenue during his time in office, these same tax increases will continue to loom on the horizon. And the fiscal outlook could worsen, too, particularly if Donald Trump is returned to the White House with a Republican majority in Congress looking to reduce federal aid to states like Maryland and, especially, Democratic-leaning cities about which he has voiced ample antipathy. Nothing is solved with this delay, but perhaps further complications can be better, more prudently addressed.
As Governor Moore noted Tuesday just hours after the disaster, Baltimore and Maryland will stand strong and united. We know this to be true. Yet lawmakers in Annapolis must chart a course that can adapt to a slew of variables that are set to unfold in the months ahead. Federal authorities are already promising aid to deal with the immediate aftermath and restore transportation infrastructure. How much better if Maryland’s governor and legislators can join in that cause and pledge greater transportation investment in the Baltimore region well beyond what has been discussed this session. That, too, is made possible by postponing the decision on any major new revenue boost until next year and with further input from the Maryland Commission on Transportation Revenues and Infrastructure Needs.
Baltimore Sun editorial writers offer opinions and analysis on news and issues relevant to readers. They operate separately from the newsroom.
