CUYAHOGA COUNTY, Ohio — The collapse of a busy bridge in Baltimore is making safety top of mind across the country and in Northeast Ohio.
In Greater Cleveland, it’s virtually impossible to avoid the many bridges that connect communities and dot skylines.
“Here in Cleveland, it’s impossible to avoid bridges. You can’t go from the East Side to the West Side without crossing a bridge if not two or three bridges,” said Clevelander Daniel Mateo Ontaneda.
He said the safety of those bridges hadn’t crossed his mind until recently.
“Honestly it’s not something you really think about too much. But now that this happened, obviously [it is],” Ontaneda said of the Baltimore bridge collapse.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning after a large container ship collided with one of the bridge supports.
READ MORE: Baltimore bridge collapses after ship collision, sends cars into water
“It was one of the first things we discussed with our bridge supervisors here at the garage this morning, just how bad it really is,” said Cuyahoga County engineer Dave Ray.
ODOT press secretary Matt Bruning added, “That is something you don’t expect to see. It doesn’t matter where you are. Bridges are generally pretty well-built, they’re obviously something you rely on everyday.”
Of the more than 200 bridges maintained by the county and 14,000 bridges for which ODOT is responsible, both departments said none would be in a scenario similar to what happened in Baltimore.
“Getting hit by something that we would see on Lake Erie, the Cuyahoga River, the Maumee River, the Ohio River - our navigable waterways - I certainly don’t think that there’s anything big enough out there that would cause the same scenario you saw in Baltimore,” Bruning said.
In Cuyahoga County, Ray said the bridge nearest to the Port of Cleveland wouldn’t be suitable for freighters.
“There’s no shipping traffic that is running that far up the river,” he explained.
When it comes to the structural integrity of the region’s bridges, teams are regularly maintaining and inspecting for possible issues.
“Our bridges are safe in Cuyahoga County. We put a lot of effort with a lot of men and women and folks in our department to make sure that they’re safe,” Ray said. “They’re rating the decks, the structure, all the way down to the paint, anything and everything really.”
Federal law requires all bridges to be inspected at least every two years. In Ohio, however, many bridges are inspected more frequently.
“It’s because we keep such a close tab on them that helps us get ahead of any issues you might see,” Bruning said.
Although the investigation into the Baltimore bridge collapse is in its early stages, safety experts around the country are keeping an eye out for potential lessons to be had.
Both ODOT and Cuyahoga County maintain the bridges across the state and in Northeast Ohio are safe.
“I certainly think that it is something that Ohioans should be proud of, that our bridges are well-maintained and well looked after in Ohio,” Bruning said.
