Investigates | Truck driver calls collapsed bridge’s construction inadequate for its certification
By David Collins
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PHOENIX, Md. (WBAL) — Concerns arose this week over bridge safety in Baltimore County after a small bridge collapsed amid a crash.
WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates spoke with a county official, examined bridge inspection information and visited several bridges in person to get further insight on Baltimore County’s approach to bridge maintenance.
The Baltimore County Department of Public Works and Transportation told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates that its crews inspect the county’s bridges on two-year cycles.
Carroll Road bridge collapse: The aftermath The Carroll Road bridge that collapsed Monday amid a septic truck crash is one of some 717 structures Baltimore County maintains, 85 of which are at least 100 years old.
No one was injured in Monday’s collapse in Phoenix, and crews brought in a crane Tuesday to remove the wreckage.
A team of DPWT engineers and contractors converged Wednesday at the collapsed bridge to brainstorm how to remove the septic truck and other debris. They also need to figure out the extent of damage to the bridge.
“Our engineers are at the scene assessing the situation, determining with contractors what the best course of action will be in the short-term and long-term,” DPWT spokesman Ron Snyder told WBAL-TV 11 News.
According to public records obtained by WBAL-TV 11 News, inspectors downgraded the condition of the Carroll Road bridge in 2023 from satisfactory to fair, noting decaying timber and loose bolts. County officials have said none of the defects in the report were deemed significant enough to warrant immediate response.
The Baltimore County-maintained structure, which dates back to 1879, was one of Maryland’s remaining historic metal truss bridges. While it had a 51,000-pound weight limit, officials have said it’s too early to determine whether weight was a factor in the collapse.
Septic truck driver: ‘It was like a bad dream’ Baltimore County police conducted a separate investigation into the crash itself and found the truck was not in violation for crossing the bridge, and no citations were issued.
WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates spoke with the driver of the septic truck, John Cossentino, who said he believes the construction of the bridge was not adequate for the structure’s certification.
“I have been cleared of all fault,” Cossentino told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates. “They weighed every single ounce of my truck and every single ounce of the load that I was carrying. I was 10,000 pounds under the certified limit.”
“Glass was shattering on me, a big beam on the bridge came down on me; it was like a bad dream.”
Cossentino told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates what led to the crash.
“The bridge had collapsed first, which had triggered the tree to fall. There is a cattle fence, there was two big metal wires connecting the two trees together. When the bridge went down, the side of the bridge fell on this big metal cord. A cattle fence that was probably installed over 100 years ago. It’s like an elevator shaft cable, very thick. When the bridge collapsed, it triggered the tree to fall,” Cossentino told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates. “Glass was shattering on me, a big beam on the bridge came down on me; it was like a bad dream.”
DPWT: Entire bridge inventory inspected very 2 years WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates found the median age of major bridges longer than 20 feet is 50 years. Last year, DPWT completed 72 bridge repairs at a cost of $3.3 million.
“In the last calendar year, we inspected over 100 structures, and we make sure the entire inventory is inspected at least every two years,” Snyder told WBAL-TV 11 News.
Among the county’s bridges is the 1930s-era wooden Mantua Mill Road bridge over Deadman Run. The bridge is classified as a high priority to replace the deck; the structure itself is in satisfactory condition, according to public records.
The Sparks Road bridge, built in 1888 and reconstructed in 1990, is one of the county’s 14 truss bridges. Public records warn that further development in the area could impact the traffic needs of the bridge.
“The definitions you see in the report don’t necessarily mean those structures are not safe to cross. If they are not, our inspectors always err on the side of caution,” Snyder told WBAL-TV 11 News. “In between inspections, if we find something that is concerning, we will follow up with additional inspections. And, if something becomes a critical need to repair, we obviously take any measure that we can to ensure the safety of those that cross the bridge.”
Baltimore County’s inspection practices follow federal and state requirements.
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