Bridge collapse a test for American leadership

The nation awoke Tuesday to images of a ghastly tragedy: Baltimore’s iconic Francis Scott Key Bridge had collapsed after a giant cargo ship lost power — and control — and slammed into one of the bridge’s key support columns. Several vehicles and eight construction workers were on the bridge, and rescue crews raced to save them from the cold water of early spring. As Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott (D) said: “A bridge can be rebuilt, but our focus is on those people.”

At a time when the nation seems ever more divided and the country’s political institutions are mired in disagreement and indecision, this tragedy can’t get caught up in partisan sniping. It’s a time to put aside differences, to rebuild and to tap what is still the United States’ greatest strength: its deep reservoir of native optimism.

This response started immediately after the bridge spanning the Patapsco River fell. Rescuers managed to save at least two of the construction workers and worked rapidly Tuesday to find the others. The action of bridge staff likely saved lives when they quickly attempted to halt traffic and clear the bridge after the cargo ship’s mayday warning. This crucial decision was made about 90 seconds before the bridge collapsed.

President Biden assured the country that there were no indications of a terrorist attack or anything other than a devastating accident. The cargo ship’s steering system apparently failed. It will take time to understand how and why the ship — owned by Grace Ocean Pte Ltd. and managed by Synergy Marine Group — malfunctioned. This ship was also involved in a 2016 collision with a loading dock in the port of Antwerp in Belgium.

Many in the D.C. area know the Key Bridge well. More than 30,000 vehicles crossed it on a typical day to commute to work or to vacations on the Maryland shore. The river that flowed under the bridge is also a prime waterway for commerce and cruises. It leads to the port of Baltimore, one of the nation’s busiest. The bridge opened in 1977 and was special for having the third-largest span of continuous truss in the world. Upgrades were planned for next year. There were fairly extensive barriers — known as “dolphins” — around the support beams that were there to stop boats before they collided with the bridge. But the gargantuan size of this vessel and the freakish way it hit the support structure overcame those protections. Any future bridge will surely need more.

The next steps are clear: Focus first and foremost on saving lives. Crews will then need to remove the bridge debris from the waterway. That will take time and special equipment. The focus will then turn to rebuilding the roughly mile-long section of the bridge that was destroyed — perhaps even improving on the previous structure, for safety and throughput. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) has already declared a state of emergency that helps unlock federal dollars for the rescue and repair efforts. Mr. Biden pledged that the federal government “will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge.” Though this Congress appears to be competing to be the least effective in memory, lawmakers should move swiftly to allocate the money, as Congress has in similar incidents. The National Transportation Safety Board is also on scene to begin assessing what went wrong on the ship.

This is a moment for national unity — to ask how to help the families waiting to hear what happened to their loved ones and the first responders braving frigid waters, and to be ready to help rebuild. Almost a year ago, a bridge on Interstate 95 collapsed outside Philadelphia after a freak accident in which a truck carrying gasoline lost control and caught fire. But as the flames in that tragedy were brought under control, political leaders, union leaders and engineers came together and reopened part of that highway in an incredible 12 days. It was an accomplishment many thought would take months. But Americans of differing political views and skills found a way to make it happen. At one point during the repairs, when rain was delaying the project, the Pocono Raceway provided a NASCAR turbo dryer to help. It was one of many examples of creative and fast problem-solving.

We don’t expect the Francis Scott Key Bridge to be rebuilt in two weeks. (It took about five years to build it in the 1970s.) But the spirit of Philadelphia needs to move south to Baltimore. The country can show that it is not too divided (or too distracted) to step up.