Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore... (2 Viewers)

[Maxp]

@Maxp
@Merl

You both seem to speak from experience, and your insights have been helpful. For this I thank you. Your experience matters much more than my 30 minutes at the helm! What do you do for a living, or what have you done in the past?

Then there are others who seem to seek arguments for arguments sake.

I'm a merchant marine deck officer...

 

[superchuck500]

I'm a merchant marine deck officer...

Is your ship US flagged?

 

[DaveXA]

Wow.

He's like, fork em all and let God sort em out. Lol.

 

[Maxp]

Is your ship US flagged?

Liberian

 

[saintmdterps]

I'm a merchant marine deck officer...

You win.

 

[saintmdterps]

I don't get why FSK bridge being down would send beach traffic up to Wilmington DE? The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is the one that connects Eastern Shore and Western Shore? If THAT were down then yes we'd be talking about a huge detour up through Delaware.

I was thinking that myself. Folks on the east side of Baltimore will have to go through the city to catch rt 10 or I-97 but those routes are always bottlenecked on Fridays during the summer. It's always a difficult drive, but now even getting out of the city will be an issue.

 

[saintmdterps]

They really need to do a better job connecting the eastern and western shores. God forbid the Bay bridge got messed up.

Can they add ferries or something like they have in Cape May/Lewes DE?

Ive done that run down 113 to Virginia from Delaware and it's not a bad ride. Would be a horrible ride if everyone and their uncle were all doing it at the same time.

You should have done it before the state dualized the entire route! Poultry trucks doing 70-80 and rolling over..it was a real blast and IIRC at one time it was one of the most deadly stretches of highway in the US.

There is talk of adding a 3rd span to the Bay Bridge. When eastbound traffic is heavy, they open an extra lane on the 3-lane westbound span so you have 2-way traffic on the westbound span. The damn thing is already considered one of the scariest bridges in the US and the folks who rated it probably did not get to experience a flat tire at the bridge's peak 175 feet above the water as yours truly did

 

[saintmdterps]

I crossed bay bridge every few months on a motorcycle in the early 80’s while driving from Norfolk to my parents house in CT. It wasn’t fun then especially n the winter.

in 1983 I rode my KZ400 to University of Maryland over the damn thing. Did you get to experience the bliss of riding on the metal grating in the deck at that time? Thankfully it's gone now.

 

[saintmdterps]

It's funny. I agree with you that we need to have better ways to get across the Chesapeake however, there are a lot of people on this side of the Bay that would love to see the Chesapeake Bay Bridge shut down for good. It's a trip.

Those same folks would whine and cry over the loss of tax revenue and jobs that shutting down the bridge would bring. "Those people" are among the most short-sighted I've ever met in my life.

Some of this is the price we pay for living in an area of rivers and bays. Leaving Baltimore for Ocean City, you'll cross 6 substantial bridges over those rivers and bays, and numerous smaller ones over creeks and streams. If any of them crap out the drive becomes even more horrible than it usually is.

@MarylandWHODAT remember when the drawbridge in Salisbury would get stuck in the up position during summer traffic? This was prior to the construction of the rt 50 bypass, and all that beach traffic would get routed to Salisbury's side streets?

 

[2009ring]

You should have done it before the state dualized the entire route! Poultry trucks doing 70-80 and rolling over..it was a real blast and IIRC at one time it was one of the most deadly stretches of highway in the US.

There is talk of adding a 3rd span to the Bay Bridge. When eastbound traffic is heavy, they open an extra lane on the 3-land westbound span so you have 2-way traffic on the westbound span. The damn thing is already considered one of the scariest bridges in the US and the folks who rated it probably did not get to experience a flat tire at the bridge's peak 175 above the water as yours truly did

I haven't driven on that bridge in 20+ years and likely will never again. Now I'm spoiled since I live in NJ I can get to Eastern Shore real quick with the ferry out of Cape May......

 

[SaintJ]

Now I'm spoiled since I live in NJ

Now there's a phrase you don't run across every day.....

 

[saintmdterps]

I haven't driven on that bridge in 20+ years and likely will never again. Now I'm spoiled since I live in NJ I can get to Eastern Shore real quick with the ferry out of Cape May......

And have a beer on the ferry if you so desire. What is your destination on the eastern shore?

 

[Grumpy Old Manatee]

treehuggers on the left and nutcases on the right.

Guess that’s not quite as bad as nut-huggers to the left and tree-cases to the right

 

[2009ring]

And have a beer on the ferry if you so desire. What is your destination on the eastern shore?

I like to fish down around the concrete ships, the bridge tunnel, etc...gonna try Assateague later this spring too just for the heck of it.

 

[saintmdterps]

I like to fish down around the concrete ships, the bridge tunnel, etc...gonna try Assateague later this spring too just for the heck of it.

Let me know when you're in the area. We can have a few cold ones at Burley Oak in Berlin