OHIO — The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has people in Ohio wondering whether something like this could happen in the Buckeye State.

What You Need To Know

  •  Engineering experts believe Ohio bridges are less likely to collapse because of ship crashes 

  • Experts said it is less likely because the boats traveling across Ohio are smaller than the one that crashed in Baltimore 

  • The bridges in Ohio are inspected on a regular basis to ensure they are safe 

Richard Miller, a University of Cincinnati professor, said the ship that hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge was nearly 200 million pounds. Miller said That is significantly heavier than the ones that are traveling across Ohio.

Bodies of water like the Ohio River could not even sustain a boat that heavy. Not only are the ones that travel in Ohio lighter, they are also much smaller. He said it significantly reduces the chances that they could hit a bridge in the wrong spot.

“That large container ship didn't have to veer off course very much to hit that pillar,” said Miller. “These smaller barges would probably have to they'd have to veer pretty far off course to actually hit the supports, given where they are in the river.”

The Port Authority of Cleveland said incidents like these are unlikely to happen in northeast Ohio. In a statement, it said bridges over the Cuyahoga River have no supporting infrastructure in the water next to the shipping channel. This makes it less likely that they could be affected by a boat.