Baltimore Bridge Collapse Investigation: NTSB to Vote on Findings

Tue Nov 18 2025 17:00:06 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The NTSB is expected to announce findings regarding the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, which led to the death of six workers and substantial cost overruns for the repair.

In a significant update following the tragic collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge due to the container ship Dali's crash, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is slated to vote on their investigation findings. The bridge replacement costs have skyrocketed from an initial $1.9 billion estimate to up to $5.2 billion, now projected for completion in 2030. This catastrophic incident occurred last March, killing six construction workers.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (FluxDaily) — The National Transportation Safety Board is set to vote on its findings regarding the cause of the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, an incident that claimed the lives of six construction workers.

The NTSB's vote is scheduled for Tuesday, coinciding with Maryland officials announcing a significant increase in the estimated cost to replace the bridge, which has now more than doubled to between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion, up from around $1.9 billion. Additionally, the projected completion date has been pushed back to 2030.

Governor Wes Moore indicated that initial estimates for rebuilding the bridge were made shortly after it collapsed in March 2024. “Since then, national economic conditions have worsened and material costs have risen,” Moore stated, emphasizing that these elevated costs stem from federal design standards and not from discretionary state decisions.

The meeting in Washington will address the probable cause, safety recommendations, and any revisions to previous reports by the board. Earlier investigations revealed a loose cable on the cargo ship Dali, which resulted in a loss of power, causing the vessel to veer off course and crash into the bridge.

The Dali suffered a power blackout attributed to the disconnection of the problematic cable, mirroring what occurred when it approached the bridge on that fateful morning of March 26, 2024. The cargo ship was en route to Sri Lanka after departing Baltimore.

Following the collision with the bridge, the structure collapsed into the Patapsco River. Six construction workers fell to their deaths during an overnight pothole repair shift, causing significant disruptions to shipping traffic through the Port of Baltimore for months. Authorities have since been criticized for neglecting to address the bridge's vulnerabilities to ship strikes.

The Maryland Transportation Authority has received pushback from the NTSB, which has called for awareness among other bridge owners to prevent similar tragedies in the future. As crews work to dismantle the remnants of the now-collapsed bridge, the memory of the lives lost continues to loom large over the incident.