Officials share their memories of the Key Bridge

DUNDALK — When Del. Ric Metzgar heard the Francis Scott Key Bridge had collapsed, his first thought was, “Life is but a vapor.”

“It puts everything into perspective,” said Metzgar about the early Tuesday morning collapse. He last crossed the bridge Monday evening.

“Nothing really matters but life,” he said.

The Key Bridge was struck by a cargo ship around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, causing it to buckle and collapse.

In an interview early Tuesday evening, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said there is a continued focus on search and rescue operations.

“We continue to support the incredible first responders for the work that they do, even as we also know that there are needs for ensuring that we do things like reopen our ports and rebuild the bridge,” he said.

The bridge, which opened in 1977, is one that many people in the community have fond memories of.

Metzgar said one of his favorite memories of the Key Bridge was a few years ago when he took a cruise and got to take photos from underneath the bridge.

Olszewski, who also crossed the bridge Monday night before it collapsed, recalled multiple memories of the bridge, from fishing under and around it to going under it with the Coast Guard when the Francis Scott Key Memorial buoy was put in the water.

“When these kinds of tragedies happen and you’re a local leader, they hit you in a deeply personal and deeply painful sort of way,” Olszewski said. “I know that that feeling is being experienced by countless others.”

Olszewski called Tuesday a jarring day.

“It’s connected all of our people here in Baltimore County and beyond for decades,” he said. “It didn’t seem real when the news hit.”

State Sen. Johnny Ray Salling said he remembered the sight from his days working at Bethlehem Steel.

“You would always look and see the bridge,” he said.

District 7 Baltimore County Councilman Todd Crandell, who said he was heartbroken by the news, called the bridge an iconic piece of architecture in the community.

“This community’s been through a lot with job loss, with the industrial base leaving years ago,” he said. “We’re on a climb back. But there’s a lot that’s happened to our community and the collapse of the bridge represents a strong piece of our identity.”

In the Maryland Senate, Salling said he is working on legislation that would extend the state of emergency that’s been put in place for this incident to more than 30 days.

“We’re going to do all that we can,” he said. “We’re doing all that we can now. And we’ll be very transparent.”

Metzgar said the state’s infrastructure and its maintenance of bridges and overpasses is something he’s been concerned about.

“I have got to tell you that I would hope that we would build our bridges stronger,” he said. “We’ve got several bridges in our local community that need to be really looked at as well.”

Metzgar said that although he’s not an engineer, he wonders if the cargo ship that struck the bridge was overloaded since it was going so slow.

“It blew my mind that that ever-so-slow-moving vessel shook the earth and changed the trajectory of Maryland right there,” he said.

Crandell said the collapse will not only have an effect on traffic, but also on the economy. With the Port of Baltimore channel closed, Crandell said this event will affect the 8,000 people employed by the port as well as supply chains across the country.

“There’s going to be a significant and protracted economic impact and supply chain impact for the region, and really throughout the whole country,” he said.

Olszewski said that although search and rescue operations are being prioritized, he understands the importance of clearing debris and reopening shipping channels. He said all of these efforts are going to be a long haul.

“Not just as we continue to search for the remaining individuals impacted by the collapse directly, but as we support the countless individuals who are going to be impacted in other ways,” he said.

Crandell said the events Tuesday have reminded him of the strength and resilience of the community.

“The area restaurants, community groups, different nonprofit organizations here locally in Dundalk have just been outstanding in their response to help the various state, federal and local agencies that are on site and at the command center,” he said, mentioning Dundalk Renaissance, the Turner Station community and Mission BBQ.