The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed on March 26th after being struck by a 100,000-ton cargo ship. When it opened to traffic in 1977, it was the second-longest continuous-truss bridge span in the world. On the day of the crash, it was the second-longest in the United States and the third-longest in the world. The original plans for an outer harbor tunnel were scrapped because of cost concerns.
According to Redditor ScoMoTrudeauApricot, members of the Coast Guard stationed at a local base wagered on when, not if, a ship would strike the bridge.
The poster does not cite a source for this, but a commenter identified it as coming from Bay Pilot: A History of the Association of Maryland Pilots. Several commenters also pointed out that transporting hazmat through tunnels is prohibited, so that was also likely a contributing factor in the decision to build the bridge.
