SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The agency that owns the Golden Gate Bridge has issued a statement responding to a recent National Transportation and Safety Board report. The report which was released Thursday indicated the iconic bridge could face an "unknown" risk of collapse in the event of a vessel strike.
ICE San Francisco involved in Tahoe operation targeting alleged gang membersThe NTSB released the report as part of its investigation into the collapse of Francis Scott Key Bridge which was struck by a cargo ship in Baltimore Harbor last March. In the report, the Golden Gate Bridge was among six Bay Area bridges the NTSB says face an unknown level of risk of collapsing from a similar strike.
The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District issued a statement Friday saying that it was in full compliance with all state and federal regulations, including "federal bridge inspection and evaluation requirements."
"The Golden Gate Bridge has one of the most robust ship collision protection systems of any bridge on the West Coast," the agency said. "The Golden Gate Bridge main span is 4,200 feet long and is supported by two towers on each end."
"The North Tower sits half on land and half in water, and a large vessel would run aground before colliding with the pier," the statement continued. "The South tower, which is anchored to bedrock beneath the water, is protected by a concrete fender that extends into the seabed."
The fender, the district said, is filled with sand, "similar to a highway crash barrel," and is 27 feet thick at the base and 10 feet thick at sea level.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 27: Tourists take pictures in front of the Golden Gate Bridge on April 27, 2015 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)However, "in light of the tragic Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse," the district said it hired a consultant earlier this year to assess the South tower's fender system's "structural capacity for ship collisions."
The district said it will submit the results of the study to the Federal Highway Administration later this year.
The other Bay Area bridges named in the NTSB report were:
Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Carquinez Bridge Benicia-Martinez Bridge Antioch Bridge San Mateo-Hayward BridgeNotably absent from the NTSB's report were the San Francisco Bay Bridge and the Dumbarton Bridge.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Golden Gate Bridge responds to NTSB bridge report )
Also on site :
- EU queen Ursula preached transparency – then did backdoor deals with Big Pharma
- Martial Arts Star Johnny Tri Nguyen To Headline Vietnamese Historical Epic ‘The Last Secret Of The First Emperor’
- This Season of ‘SVU’ Was a Clunker — But Next Season Is Very Promising!