Francis Scott Key Bridge (I-695) complete collapse after large ship hits it

[Beltway]

As I have said number of times this project is operating completely outside of normal FHWA federal aid allocations to states. Basically unique to any previous projects. So comparing it to regular FHWA programs is irrelevant.

For someone that criticized nonsense in this thread, they certainly contributed this whopper, which again shows a misunderstanding of how FHWA funds are authorized.

Congress basically gave them a 100% blank check and a blank design slate, and in a line item in an omnibus spending bill.

Yes that is completely outside of normal processes for highway federal aid to the states.

I am not saying that we could not get a superb project from that -- just that it is what it is.

As I have detailed many times this issue is operating outside of NEPA and that process is run by environmental specialists, not by engineers.

No, a categorical exclusion doesn't meant he project is operating "outside of NEPA."

Masterful use of creative snipping.

I have been worked on by experts.

[Rothman]

As I have said number of times this project is operating completely outside of normal FHWA federal aid allocations to states. Basically unique to any previous projects. So comparing it to regular FHWA programs is irrelevant.

For someone that criticized nonsense in this thread, they certainly contributed this whopper, which again shows a misunderstanding of how FHWA funds are authorized.

Congress basically gave them a 100% blank check and a blank design slate, and in a line item in an omnibus spending bill.

Yes that is completely outside of normal processes for highway federal aid to the states.

It's Emergency Relief ("ER") funding per Public Law 118-158.  That still flows through FHWA to MD and is still authorized in FMIS.  Every State deals with ER funding and expending ER funds is definitely a normal process.

[Beltway]

Congress basically gave them a 100% blank check and a blank design slate, and in a line item in an omnibus spending bill.
Yes that is completely outside of normal processes for highway federal aid to the states.

It's Emergency Relief ("ER") funding per Public Law 118-158.  That still flows through FHWA to MD and is still authorized in FMIS.  Every State deals with ER funding and expending ER funds is definitely a normal process.

Rothman is correct that Emergency Relief (ER) funds flow through FHWA and are authorized in FMIS, but he misses the structural and symbolic uniqueness of the Key Bridge funding. While ER funding is a standard mechanism used by states after disasters, it typically operates under a $100 million annual cap per event. States must apply, and FHWA evaluates eligibility and allocates funds from a limited pool. In contrast, the Key Bridge rebuild was pre-funded through Public Law 118-158, which earmarked full federal coverage via a line item in an omnibus appropriations bill. This bypasses the usual ER bottlenecks and competitive dynamics.

The scale of the project further underscores its exceptional nature. Estimates for the full rebuild range from $1.9 billion to $5 billion, dwarfing the standard ER ceiling. Maryland isn't navigating the usual phased reimbursements or partial coverage -- it's receiving a federally spotlighted, full-cost rebuild, initiated by Congress and fast-tracked through FHWA. Rothman's framing implies procedural normalcy, but the legislative origin and funding magnitude make this case structurally distinct.

Additionally, my point about a "blank design slate" reflects the unusual latitude granted to Maryland and FHWA. The rebuild is expected to leverage design-build procurement, accelerated environmental review, and flexible delivery mechanisms -- none of which are typical for standard ER-funded projects.

In short, Rothman's procedural correction is accurate in isolation but incomplete in context. He affirms the mechanics (FMIS, FHWA flow) but overlooks the exceptional funding structure, scale, and symbolic framing. My "blank check" language may be informal, but it captures the reality: this is not business as usual. It's a nationally significant infrastructure response with unique legislative and operational backing.

[PColumbus73]

After Page 20 or 25~...

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[Max Rockatansky]

After Page 20 or 25~...

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I think we established things became nonsensical starting on page 20?

[PColumbus73]

After Page 20 or 25~...

[[[.. tiresome comments ...]]]

I think we established things became nonsensical starting on page 20?

I'm starting to forget, must be Francis Scott Key Bridgerot

[vdeane]

Beltway's constant comments about symbology are making me think that he's just mad that the funding was awarded under Biden.  For great justice.

[Rothman]

Beltway's constant comments about symbology are making me think that he's just mad that the funding was awarded under Biden.  For great justice.

https://clip.cafe/the-boondock-saints-1999/so-whats-the-symbology-there/

[Scott5114]

ping

[Beltway]

Beltway's constant comments about symbology are making me think that he's just mad that the funding was awarded under Biden.  For great justice.

https://clip.cafe/the-boondock-saints-1999/so-whats-the-symbology-there/

Symbology isn't a distraction -- it's a diagnostic. When Beltway threads symbolic geography into the funding debate, it's not bitterness; it's blueprint. The funding mechanism is flexible enough to eliminate risk and vulnerability, not just rhetorically but structurally.

Span the estuary like Gordie Howe, or go under it like I-664's MMMBT -- both precedents thread resilience over spectacle. If your response is "he's just mad Biden got the credit," you've mistaken principled critique for partisan noise. Beltway's advocacy isn't about who signed the check -- it's about what gets built, what gets buried, and what gets blamed when it fails.

"For great justice" is a meme. Clearance, phased development, and symbolic integrity aren't. Some of us still believe infrastructure should outlast the press cycle. If that makes you uncomfortable, maybe it's not the symbology -- it's the vulnerability it exposes.

[freebrickproductions]

Beltway's constant comments about symbology are making me think that he's just mad that the funding was awarded under Biden.  For great justice.

https://clip.cafe/the-boondock-saints-1999/so-whats-the-symbology-there/

Symbology isn't a distraction -- it's a diagnostic. When Beltway threads symbolic geography into the funding debate, it's not bitterness; it's blueprint. The funding mechanism is flexible enough to eliminate risk and vulnerability, not just rhetorically but structurally.

Span the estuary like Gordie Howe, or go under it like I-664's MMMBT -- both precedents thread resilience over spectacle. If your response is "he's just mad Biden got the credit," you've mistaken principled critique for partisan noise. Beltway's advocacy isn't about who signed the check -- it's about what gets built, what gets buried, and what gets blamed when it fails.

"For great justice" is a meme. Clearance, phased development, and symbolic integrity aren't. Some of us still believe infrastructure should outlast the press cycle. If that makes you uncomfortable, maybe it's not the symbology -- it's the vulnerability it exposes.

Did you get ChatGPT to write this post for you and just copy-pasted it? You might want to at least edit it into being in first person the next time you do that.

Take off every Zig.

[Beltway]

Beltway's constant comments about symbology are making me think that he's just mad that the funding was awarded under Biden.  For great justice.

https://clip.cafe/the-boondock-saints-1999/so-whats-the-symbology-there/

Symbology isn't a distraction -- it's a diagnostic. When Beltway threads symbolic geography into the funding debate, it's not bitterness; it's blueprint. The funding mechanism is flexible enough to eliminate risk and vulnerability, not just rhetorically but structurally.

Span the estuary like Gordie Howe, or go under it like I-664's MMMBT -- both precedents thread resilience over spectacle. If your response is "he's just mad Biden got the credit," you've mistaken principled critique for partisan noise. Beltway's advocacy isn't about who signed the check -- it's about what gets built, what gets buried, and what gets blamed when it fails.

"For great justice" is a meme. Clearance, phased development, and symbolic integrity aren't. Some of us still believe infrastructure should outlast the press cycle. If that makes you uncomfortable, maybe it's not the symbology -- it's the vulnerability it exposes.

Did you get ChatGPT to write this post for you and just copy-pasted it? You might want to at least edit it into being in first person the next time you do that.
Take off every Zig.

I wrote it and I posted it and I own it.

Second-hand voice isn't retreat -- it's reframing. When the thread turns personal, the capsule turns structural. I find it mildly annoying when people who know my real name address me with my screen name.

Some people don't seem to get sly subtle humor.

[Scott5114]

Some people don't seem to get sly subtle humor.

Humor only works when the person presenting it has enough credibility with the audience that it can be recognized when they're intentionally not being serious.

[hotdogPi]

"It isn't A, it's B" (often "It isn't just A, it's B") is one of those telltale ChatGPT signs.

[Rothman]

Um.  Wow.

[Max Rockatansky]

Beltway either is using ChatGTP or pulling a Jimmy from Seinfeld with that third person self-reference.

[PColumbus73]

PColumbus73's advocacy for the destruction of the American Legion Bridge is more than ironic commentary. It's not about infrastructure, it's about aliens.

Modern media says that aliens are superior lifeforms and us humans, who have never left our own Solar System, should secede decision-making responsibilities to our future overlords. Aliens destroying the American Legion Bridge is a symbol of their intergalactic intelligence, that they would venture across the universe and destroy a functionally obsolete piece of infrastructure in the vicinity of one of Earth's prominent capital cities. Doing so would be a sign of their benevolence and goodwill that they want to make our world a better place. While some people may be nervous about aliens destroying the American Legion Bridge, it's important to not let discrimination of intergalactic beings prevent us from having universe-class infrastructure.

Americans would also have the honor of making first contact with extraterrestrial life. Having a few cars vaporized is a necessary sacrifice.

[Max Rockatansky]

PColumbus73's advocacy for the destruction of the American Legion Bridge is more than ironic commentary. It's not about infrastructure, it's about aliens.

Modern media says that aliens are superior lifeforms and us humans, who have never left our own Solar System, should secede decision-making responsibilities to our future overlords. Aliens destroying the American Legion Bridge is a symbol of their intergalactic intelligence, that they would venture across the universe and destroy a functionally obsolete piece of infrastructure in the vicinity of one of Earth's prominent capital cities. Doing so would be a sign of their benevolence and goodwill that they want to make our world a better place. While some people may be nervous about aliens destroying the American Legion Bridge, it's important to not let discrimination of intergalactic beings prevent us from having universe-class infrastructure.

Americans would also have the honor of making first contact with extraterrestrial life. Having a few cars vaporized is a necessary sacrifice.

I for one welcome our new insect (I'm assuming the aliens are bugs) overlords.  I like to remind them as a road enthusiast that I can be useful in rounding up bridges to destroy. 

[GaryV]

More slobblegasting. (In b4 BW)

[Max Rockatansky]

More slobblegasting. (In b4 BW)

The whole thread has become the ferret's afternoon tea has isn't?

[kphoger]

The scale of the project further underscores its exceptional nature. Estimates for the full rebuild range from $1.9 billion to $5 billion, dwarfing the standard ER ceiling. Maryland isn't navigating the usual phased reimbursements or partial coverage -- it's receiving a federally spotlighted, full-cost rebuild, initiated by Congress and fast-tracked through FHWA.

It's bigger, and it's going faster.  That is exceptional.  A smaller, slower one could similarly be considered exceptional.

PColumbus73's advocacy for the destruction of the American Legion Bridge is more than ironic commentary. It's not about infrastructure, it's about aliens.

Modern media says that aliens are superior lifeforms and us humans, who have never left our own Solar System, should secede decision-making responsibilities to our future overlords. Aliens destroying the American Legion Bridge is a symbol of their intergalactic intelligence, that they would venture across the universe and destroy a functionally obsolete piece of infrastructure in the vicinity of one of Earth's prominent capital cities. Doing so would be a sign of their benevolence and goodwill that they want to make our world a better place. While some people may be nervous about aliens destroying the American Legion Bridge, it's important to not let discrimination of intergalactic beings prevent us from having universe-class infrastructure.

Americans would also have the honor of making first contact with extraterrestrial life. Having a few cars vaporized is a necessary sacrifice.

Mockery isn't a distraction—it's a crutch.  When PColumbus73 threads intergalactic beings into the financial discourse, it's not comic relief:  it's vomic.  The subsidization apparatus is not sufficiently elastic to tolerate chunderpumping and nonsense, whether theatrical or substantive.

Traverse the galaxy like aliens, or explore beyond the solar system like little green men—both possibilities demonstrate competency over discernment.  If your answer is "he's merely unwilling to cede decision-making responsibilities to our future overlords," you've confused scrupulous review for overbearing jealousy.  PColumbus73's proposal isn't about who are the overlords—it's about what's funny, what's serious, and who gets defensive at the facetiousness.

"Benevolence and goodwill" is a trope.  Annihilation, species extinction, and laser dolphins aren't.  A few of us continue to hold that the American Legion Bridge ought to outlive the universe.  If that makes you uneasy, maybe it's not the functional obsolescence—it's the reverse discrimination against humans it uncovers.

ping

Ah, I think I've identified the problem:

[PColumbus73]

PColumbus73's advocacy for the destruction of the American Legion Bridge is more than ironic commentary. It's not about infrastructure, it's about aliens.

Modern media says that aliens are superior lifeforms and us humans, who have never left our own Solar System, should secede decision-making responsibilities to our future overlords. Aliens destroying the American Legion Bridge is a symbol of their intergalactic intelligence, that they would venture across the universe and destroy a functionally obsolete piece of infrastructure in the vicinity of one of Earth's prominent capital cities. Doing so would be a sign of their benevolence and goodwill that they want to make our world a better place. While some people may be nervous about aliens destroying the American Legion Bridge, it's important to not let discrimination of intergalactic beings prevent us from having universe-class infrastructure.

Americans would also have the honor of making first contact with extraterrestrial life. Having a few cars vaporized is a necessary sacrifice.

Mockery isn't a distraction—it's a crutch.  When PColumbus73 threads intergalactic beings into the financial discourse, it's not comic relief:  it's vomic.  The subsidization apparatus is not sufficiently elastic to tolerate chunderpumping and nonsense, whether theatrical or substantive.

Traverse the galaxy like aliens, or explore beyond the solar system like little green men—both possibilities demonstrate competency over discernment.  If your answer is "he's merely unwilling to cede decision-making responsibilities to our future overlords," you've confused scrupulous review for overbearing jealousy.  PColumbus73's proposal isn't about who are the overlords—it's about what's funny, what's serious, and who gets defensive at the facetiousness.

"Benevolence and goodwill" is a trope.  Annihilation, species extinction, and laser dolphins aren't.  A few of us continue to hold that the American Legion Bridge ought to outlive the universe.  If that makes you uneasy, maybe it's not the functional obsolescence—it's the reverse discrimination against humans it uncovers.

Societal vomic is treatable by societal Pepto Bismol. In this case, in the form of intergalactic beings taking control of American infrastructure. Some people may think this is just a disturbance to the societal geology, but the societal Richter scale has not measured a significant societal earthquake, that's not to say we aren't overdue.

[kphoger]

Societal vomic is treatable by societal Pepto Bismol. In this case, in the form of intergalactic beings taking control of American infrastructure.

Without a scheduled period of public comment, in which citizens are given the opportunity to review the details and voice their questions or opposition, that is completely outside of normal processes.

[Beltway]

Ah, I think I've identified the problem:

Website is working fine.

"Capital Beltway History" -
http://www.capital-beltway.com/Capital-Beltway-History.html

Formal planning for the Beltway began in 1950, and it was included as part of the national Interstate Highway System in the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 (which authorized the construction of a 41,000-mile national system of Interstate highways), and construction of the Beltway began in 1957. The most commonly used planning name for the highway was the Washington Circumferential Highway, and in June 1960 the highway was officially named "Capital Beltway" by both states. The I-495 Capital Beltway was fully completed when its final Maryland segment was opened to traffic on August 17, 1964.

Why don't you go and create one?

[Beltway]

Some people don't seem to get sly subtle humor.

Humor only works when the person presenting it has enough credibility with the audience that it can be recognized when they're intentionally not being serious.

I didn't realize how many people here were going to my Baltimore Outer Harbor Crossing Replacement Proposal website article -- until I added the AARoads capsule on Oct. 19th -- and in less than a day there was an outburst of 23 posts that started up here complaining about it.

I got a good chuckle out of that.

Well those comments don't have to stay there or else they can always be trimmed back.

And I see that I don't need to post here much as people know where my website article is and can see any updates and new developments and added material.