Seaway says safeguards in place to prevent bridge damage
The collapse of a bridge in Baltimore, Md., as a result of being struck by a ship early Tuesday morning has prompted St. Lawrence Seaway System to issue a statement about its own assets.
The likelihood of something similar happening along the seaway or in the Welland Canal is low, said Jean Aubry-Morin, vice-president of external relations.
“That’s not to say it doesn’t exist — that would be a false statement,” he said. “We have learned from our past.”
The Port Robinson Bridge collapsed — never to be replaced — after it was struck by a vessel on Aug. 15, 1974.
On Aug. 11, 2001, the Allanburg Bridge lowered on a wheat-carrying cargo ship, putting the bridge out of commission.
On Sept. 30, 2015, the Main Street Bridge in Port Colborne was knocked out of commission for the remainder of the shipping season after it was struck by a vessel.
Early Tuesday, the container ship Dali rammed into the Baltimore bridge, causing it to collapse in a matter of seconds and creating a terrifying scene as several vehicles plunged into the chilly river below.
It was not clear why the cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge long before the morning commute. Six people were believed lost in the waters of the busy harbour near a key port.
Rescuers pulled two people from the water by mid-morning and searched for more.
Video appeared to show the vessel lose power at least twice before it struck the structure.
The ship smashed into one of the bridge’s supports, causing the structure to break apart like a toy. It tumbled into the water almost instantly — a shocking spectacle that was captured on video and posted on social media.
All crew members, including the two pilots on board, were accounted for, and there were no reports of any on-board injuries.
Aubry-Morin said within hours of the Baltimore incident, the seaway was notified by various partners and its team moved into action at 7 a.m., issuing a release at 9 a.m. about the safety of its system.
That release said the organization’s thoughts are with everyone impacted by the tragic bridge collision involving the container ship.
“We monitor social media and saw rapidly there were concerns and questions from the public (about the seaway),” said AubryMorin.
He said with roughly 3,800 vessel transits each season, the seaway might experience eight incidents on average, all minor.
Learning from past mistakes, the seaway has measures in place to protect its vital infrastructure from Montreal through to Port Colborne, Aubry-Morin said.
They include arrestor cables in locks that prevent vessels from striking fragile gates; speed limits on the Long Reach, the area just north of Main Street Bridge in Port Colborne to Lock 7 in Thorold; underwater concrete abutments vessels will interact with before reaching structures; and real-time monitoring and control of ships on seaway waters.
Aubry-Morin said the arrestor cables are designed to stop three times the mass of a vessel entering locks before they can reach the gates.
There are 15 locks across the system — 13 in Canada and two in the U.S.
In 2018, an engine issue caused the ocean-going vessel Federal Rideau to hit a ship arrestor in the flight locks in Thorold, keeping it in place. The arrestor cable was later replaced.
“The speed limit in the canal is six knots on the Long Reach. There are no tolerance zones near bridges and limits for entering or departing structures.”
Seaway staff in the Glendale control centre in St. Catharines monitor vessel speeds and can issue a “ticket,” said Aubry-Morin.
The control centre has a bank of screens with real-time views up and down the Welland Canal and communicates with vessels via VHF radio as they enter and leave the canal, locks and pass under bridges. The bridges in the system are controlled from the centre.
“They make sure things are done safely,” said Aubry-Morin.
He said over the past decades, the seaway has made improvements in designs and the protection of structures so past incidents aren’t repeated.
“Every design, operation and management activity is now surrounded by a risk management framework that guides the way we interact.”
The seaway also conducts ship inspections, with a marine officer going on board and inspecting the bridge, engine room and machinery, and ensuring crew are competent and properly trained.
There are systems around the locks that allow the seaway to detect if there’s something on a lock wall, even something small like skunks, said Aubry-Morin.
Emergency plans and protocols are in place if there is an incident, he added.