St. Lawrence Seaway management offer assurances on safety of seaway bridges

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation is offering assurances bridges along the seaway between Montreal and Lake Ontario are safe, after a bridge collapsed in Baltimore overnight.

Rescuers are searching for six people in the water after a container ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge Tuesday morning, causing the bridge to collapse.

In a statement, the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation says safety is at the "core of its values" along the busy waterway.

"The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) wants to reassure the public and its stakeholders that bridge design and robust physical protections safeguard all structures along the marine corridor," the corporation said in a statement.

"With 24/7 operational vigilance over marine and vehicular traffic, the SLSMC ensures safe, secure, and efficient passages for the public, commuters, and marine traffic. Safety is at the core of our values at the Seaway and our best-in-class risk management practices guide our operations."

The St. Lawrence Seaway area includes the Thousand Islands Bridge and the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge, with both bridges connecting Ontario and New York State.

The Thousand Islands Bridge Authority said in a statement its thoughts are with the Maryland community as it deals with the tragedy.

"Additionally, as it pertains to the U.S. Span of the Thousand Islands Bridge System, the placement of the piers provides the minimal possibility of impact by a vessel. Again, our agency has implemented protocols to facilitate the safe navigation of ships through the area, minimizing any potential risks to both maritime traffic and the bridge's stability," the bridge authority said.

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