The Francis Scott Key Bridge that collapsed in Baltimore this week, after being hit by a disabled cargo ship, is a tragedy. Lives have been lost. Property has been destroyed. The closure of the Port of Baltimore has massive financial ramifications for the state and the supply chain along the East Coast; the bridge serves as an import transportation pathway along I-695, with over 11 million vehicles using the bridge every year, translating into over 30,000 vehicles per day on average.

Calls for accountability and reparation are ubiquitous. Insurers will likely have to pay billions of dollars in claims. The federal government appears willing to pay for the construction of a bridge to replace the collapsed one, based on a statement from President Biden. The cost of the new bridge has been estimated to run as high as $350 million — or more. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has expressed his concerns, touching upon all these issues and the complexity of the situation in the coming months.

Little good appears to come from any such incident. Except any time an accident of this magnitude occurs, a root cause analysis will look for the cause of the incident, and ways to have........

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