Named for ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ author, Francis Scott Key Bridge was part of Baltimore’s identity

By WAYNE PARRY
Associated Press

The bridge that collapsed into a Maryland river after a ship strike was iconic. It was erected almost five decades ago, named after the author of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and part of the very fabric of Baltimore. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore calls its loss Tuesday unprecedented and heartbreaking. Erected in 1977, the Francis Scott Key Bridge passed within 100 yards of the spot where Key witnessed the bombardment of a fort that inspired what would become America’s national anthem. It was most recently used by some 30,000 vehicles a day and 11.3 million vehicles a year to cross the Patapsco River. Rescue crews are still looking for six people who remain unaccounted for but who are presumed dead.