Jack and Spike: A Baltimorean’s view on the Key Bridge collapse
Mar 26, 2024, 2:44 PM
It’s a major catastrophe over 3,000 miles away but to one member of “The Jack & Spike Show,” the Baltimore bridge collapse hit particularly close to home.
Spike O’Neill grew up in Baltimore, has fond memories of the old NFL Baltimore Colts and knows the city’s routes. He is aware of how important the Francis Scott Key Bridge is to commuters both north and south of downtown.
“It’s on the due east side of the city and is a major daily commute asset. The bridge is a total loss. It’s gone. It will take years to reconstruct the bridge,” Spike said.
The event: Baltimore bridge collapses after powerless cargo ship rams into support column; 6 presumed dead
The bridge, part of Interstate 695, once spanned the Patapsco River, a vital artery that along with the Port of Baltimore is a hub for shipping on the East Coast. A supply chain manager says to expect goods shortages in the coming days. The collapse will almost surely create a logistical nightmare for months, if not years, in the region, shutting down ship traffic at the Port of Baltimore, a major shipping hub. The accident will also snarl cargo and commuter traffic.
“Catastrophic failure is a term people overuse,” Jack Stine said. “A catastrophic event happened last night in Baltimore. This ship is attempting to take 100,000 tons of material out of the harbor. All of a sudden, things go real bad, real fast.”
Spike said the fast work of the ship’s crew probably saved lives.
“The ship lost power twice. When they lose power, they immediately lose control and drop anchor. An eight-man crew was fixing potholes on the bridge. Six are still missing,” Spike said. Authorities said the six are presumed dead.
“Needless to say we should be a little bit more grateful to another day on God’s green earth. Let’s put on a Cal Ripken jersey and have a Tasty Cake in honor of Baltimore,” Jack said.
Head to “The Jack and Spike Show” YouTube page to watch the full discussion and more.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.
Listen to Jack and Spike weekdays from noon-3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.
