GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Leo Frigo Bridge in Green Bay is the only bridge in Wisconsin the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is recommending to assess for safety risk.
Nearly one year ago, the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after a ship struck it. Six construction workers died.
As part of its ongoing investigation into that tragedy, the NTSB also looked at other bridges across the U.S.
In its report released Thursday, the NTSB found that there are 30 owners of 68 bridges over navigable waterways that are frequented by ocean-going vessels that are likely unaware of their bridges’ risk of collapse if it were struck.
The Leo Frigo Bridge was listed as Critical/Essential if a vessel were to crash into it.
“Today’s report does not suggest that the 68 bridges are certain to collapse,” the NTSB said. “The NTSB is recommending that these 30 bridge owners evaluate whether the bridges are above the AASHTO acceptable level of risk. The NTSB recommended that bridge owners develop and implement a comprehensive risk reduction plan if the calculations indicate a bridge has a risk level above the AASHTO threshold.”
Construction on the Leo Frigo bridge was complete in 1981, only a few years after the Francis Scott Key Bridge. It’s Green Bay’s tallest bridge with a clearance of about 120 feet above the water.
According to the WisDOT, all bridges in Wisconsin are inspected at least once every two years.
In the NTSB’s report, it listed the Mackinac Bridge in the U.P. as Critical/Essential.
