(PORTLAND TRIBUNE) — Following Tuesday’s bridge collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland, transportation officials in Oregon have been quick to reassure the public they are aware of the danger and prepared to deal with it.

The Key bridge broke into pieces and fell into the Patapsco River after being hit by a massive, out of control cargo ship. At least six people were killed.

People in the Portland metro area have worried for decades about the state of the region’s bridges, many of which are very old. According to a recent Federal Highway Administration report, 87% of bridges in Multnomah County are in poor or fair condition.

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“We have workers 24/7 on the Interstate Bridge that are watching the river at all times to see if there are any problems out there on the river that we need to be careful about, to see if there are any ships that are in danger out there on the river,” said Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson Don Hamilton, referring to the freeway bridge between Oregon and Washington.

“In the event that a (Multnomah) County bridge is significantly damaged, traffic is moved off the bridge as soon as possible. The County has disaster response plans that mobilize all bridge staff and engineers to inspect and evaluate the safety of the bridge before it can be repaired and safely reopened to the public,” said Jon Henrichsen, Multnomah County Transportation Division Director/County Engineer.

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