Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse causes disruptions for drivers: "Takes a lot more time"
BALTIMORE -- The Francis Scott Key Bridge is no longer an option for drivers in Baltimore after it collapsed from a cargo ship strike Tuesday morning.
The loss of Baltimore's main bridge means drivers have to find alternate ways around, and more time on the outer loop of I-695.
"My work requires us to go across that bridge and now it's gone," said Ryan Hurdel.
"From Sparrow's Point to Curtis Bay, it's like a 10-minute ride over the bridge. Now it's 45 minutes," truck driver Garinton Seymour said.
The Department of Transportation encourages drivers to prepare for extra commuting time indefinitely.
The outer loop of I-695 is now closed at Exit 1, Quarantine Road. The inner loop of I-695 remains closed at Peninsula Expressway.
MDOT suggests that drivers use the Fort McHenry Tunnel or Baltimore Harbor Tunnel to travel north and south.
"It takes a lot more time to get to and from where you are going right now," Seymour said.
Hurdel, a mechanic who was born and raised in Pasadena, told WJZ he used to cross the Key Bridge every day for work.
"I can remember being a kid fishing underneath that bridge," Hurdel said. "Losing that bridge, some people are like, 'Oh, it's just a bridge, it's just a bridge.' It's not just a bridge. It's somewhat of a symbol to most of us."
Hurdel said a longer commute to jobs could mean more money for customers.
"How do we justify to the customers that extra time? How do we sit there and say we're sorry, but this is going to cost you more money or do we eat the cost?" Hurdel said.
For many, including Hurdel, the loss of the historic Key Bridge is personal.
"Yes, it will be rebuilt," Hurdel said. "Yes, we will have it back, just a matter of money and time. It's still like, for the time being, it doesn't look like Baltimore anymore. It literally felt like a piece of me is missing. A piece of my childhood is gone."
