The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials told POLITICO recently that it is working to update its specifications for highway bridges to protect against vessel collisions.
The action from the nonpartisan organization that represents state departments of transportation and highway agencies comes nearly two years after a container ship struck and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, killing six.
Kevin Marshia, AASHTO’s director of engineering, said in an interview that the group was working on the update but offered few details on what would be in the new guidelines. He said the organization would be working with the Federal Highway Administration on the guidelines and will take a “comprehensive look” at events that have occurred since the last update went out in 2009.
However, Marshia did say that at least one specific National Transportation Safety Board recommendation from last year related to bridge warning systems will “obviously be considered in this next update.”
