John Zimmerman, an 83-year-old former ironworker who helped build the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in the 1970s, shared his insights on the recent accident involving the bridge. Zimmerman was alerted by his wife early in the morning to turn on the news after reports of the incident surfaced.
Upon analyzing the footage, Zimmerman noted that the dolphins, which are concrete bumpers around the pilings designed to protect the structure, appeared ineffective in this case. He speculated that the ship may have either avoided the bumpers or only grazed them, leading to the bridge's vulnerability.
Zimmerman expressed his observation that the ship seemed to have struck the most fragile section of the bridge. He remarked, 'It looks like it hit the only spot it could have hit to take the whole thing down. It hit at probably the weakest part of the bridge.'
Having worked on the bridge for two years during the 1970s as a local 16 ironworker, Zimmerman's expertise provides valuable insights into the structural dynamics of the bridge and the impact of the recent accident.
