skyway bridge cruise ship

Island Sunset & Skyway Bridge Light Show

Island sunset & skyway bridge light show.

6810 Gulfport Blvd. S. St. Pete, FL 33707

$65 – $80 PER PERSON

DEPARTURE TIME

1.5 HOURS BEFORE SUNSET

ISLAND SUNSET AND

Skyway bridge light show.

  Top Tourist Attraction with Top-Rated Sunset Cruise • Available Year Round

Save $10 when booking Monday – Thursday!

Join Coastal Cruises’ on our brand new 50ft Custom Catamaran for an evening like no other! A scenic trip out the Intracoastal and along Shell Key Preserve provides us ample opportunities for dolphin sightings.

Once stopped at Outback Key, feel free to take your drinks ashore, search for that perfect shell, and watch the sun kiss the horizon over the Gulf of Mexico. 

On our return trip, we’ll stop by the Skyway Bridge for a $15M light show! Truly a must-see!

Guests are more than welcome to bring their own snacks or handhelds to help hold them over. No food is offered onboard. Coolers are not permitted.

As safety is our number one priority, the dusk return trip will be aided by state of art Thermal and Night Vision Cameras, GPS Navigation, and Radar. Our Custom Boat is the only one in the area that is equipped properly to safely provide you with such a unique experience!

Recent Reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

What is your cancellation policy.

Customer Cancellations: Must be requested via calling or emailing no less than 48hrs before trip departure for a full refund. No shows or late arrivals will be charged the full ticket price.

Weather Cancellations : If your trip’s departure may be impacted by weather, our captains will reach out via text and email no less than 2hrs before departure with a weather update. Should the trip be canceled, guests are entitled to be refunded, rebooked, or receive a gift card in accordance with the cancellation policy associated with their ticket.

Is there a bathroom on board?

Yes there is a restroom on board that is cleaned and sanitized daily!

What time should we arrive?

Please plan to arrive no later than 15 minutes prior to your scheduled departure for boarding.

Is there parking available?

Yes! We have designated free parking for all of our customers.

Are we allowed to bring food?

Yes! Guests are more than welcome to bring their own snacks or light fare.

Can we bring our own alcohol?

For insurance purposes, outside alcohol is not permitted and may be confiscated for the duration of your trip. Don’t worry, our bar will be fully stocked!

What is available at the bar?

Our bar features a small selection of water, soda, beer, wine, and RTD Cocktails: $1 Water; $3 Coke, Sprite, Diet Coke; $5 Bud Light, Michelob Ultra; $7 Corona, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Moscato, NUTRL Vodka Seltzer, Cutwater Mojito.

How do we get off at the beach?

For our island stops, we use a series of steps from the front of our boat to the sand. Typically, you can step right from the boat/steps to the sand. However, on occasion, it may be up to ankle deep.

What should we wear?

Comfort is key! Swimming is discouraged during the island stop due to strong tidal currents. Guests are encouraged to dress as they feel comfortable for their evening with easily removable shoes for their walk on the beach. Keep in mind, being on the water in the evening is about 10 degrees colder than is forecasted, so a windbreaker or light jacket is always safe.

Is your vessel handicap accessible?

Unfortunately we are not handicap accessible at this time. Guests with limited mobility (i.e. walkers, canes) should call our office prior to booking. A good rule of thumb is if the limited mobility passenger is able to make it up 2-3 standard stairs with assistance. Our crew is always here to help and eager to share our memorable trip with all!

Marine Max 6810 Gulfport Blvd. S. St. Pete, FL 33707

$65 - $80 PER PERSON

Duration: 3 Hours

• Call Us Today: (941) 545-3058

Sunshine Skyway Bridge Evening Tour

• What We Provide
• What To Bring
• Requirements

• Only Bay2Bay Tours takes you to experience the Skyway Bridge up-close at night
• Safe and fun for family & friends
• Private boat tour up to 6 passengers per boat; large group options are available (call to inquire)
• Cruise beneath the longest bridge in its class - IN THE WORLD!
• Get a glimpse of the sunset as we make headway towards the bridge
• Lookout for dolphins, sea turtles, manatees, or other marine wildlife as we make headway
• Pick up and drop off at a public ramp or at most resorts/homes with boat docks on AMI

Cruise across the Anna Maria Sound in Tampa Bay to the world-famous Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge.  Admire the magnitude of its structure and become mesmerized by the lights changing colors or by their reflection in the bay waters – from a perspective only few people get to experience! Learn about the history and significance of this bridge, as well as little-known facts we have exhaustively researched for you.

What we provide

• Unique experience offered only by Bay2Bay Tours in Anna Maria Island
• A very comfortable Silver Wave, 24’ tritoon boat with 4 lounger seats and two captain chairs. Multiple boats option for large groups.
• Expert guidance by a seasoned biologist and longtime local resident
• Vast knowledge of local ecology, wildlife, islands, AMI and its surroundings
• Water, sodas, and ice
• Customized experience to help celebrate special events
• Bluetooth® sound system to sync up your favorite playlist
• All safety and emergency equipment required and approved by the US Coast Guard

What to bring

We recommend bringing a light jacket or windbreaker. Towels are not essential but may become handy in the event of incidental spray.  Items of personal use such as sunblock and bug repellent. Adults are welcome to bring beer, wine, or champagne – no red wine please. Although we provide a cooler with water, sodas and ice, it is acceptable to bring a small cooler with specialty beverages or snacks.

Add an elegant  charcuterie board  or  vegan tray prepared locally. Select the appropriate option when prompted at the time of booking.

Private Boat Tours

Sunset Cruise in St. Pete

Relax on the most spacious and comfortable sunset cruise in st. pete. enjoy an elevated, romantic experience while cruising along the coast of st. petersburg..

Take a Romantic Ride Along the Shores of St. Petersburg

Make it an evening to remember with a sunset cruise on The Pelican. 

Depart easily from the St. Pete Pier. Enjoy a two-hour cruise along the beautiful shorelines of St. Pete, view the stunning Sunshine Skyway bridge, and perhaps see a dolphin or two! 

Get the best view for a breathtaking sunset over the water, while relaxing on a spacious boat set up with your comfort in mind.

The Best Sunset Cruise Near St. Pete Beach

The Pelican stands out from all other sunset cruises around St. Pete Beach. Our boat is second to none with amenities built for your comfort. 

The 60-foot passenger boat has everything you need to unwind and take in a stunning sunset. 

• Spacious seating — no sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with other guests
• Shaded outdoor areas and indoor air-conditioning 
• Two full-size bathrooms
• Wine & Beer available for purchase 
• Friendly crew whose goal is to make your ride as memorable as possible 

The St. Pete Sunset Cruise Experience

Evenings | Duration: 2 Hours

Person Age 18+: $59

• Depart from St. Pete Pier 
• Sunset and departure times vary throughout the year
• Boarding begins 30 min prior to sailing
• Sail along the shorelines of St. Pete and view the Sunshine Skyway bridge
• Experience stunning sunset views 
• Please allow at least 30 min to park and arrive at the dock
• Tax and gratuity not included

For more information, check out our FAQ page .

What Our Guests Say About The St. Pete Sunset Cruise

Book your st. pete sunset cruise.

Get the best view of a beautiful St. Pete sunset. Enjoy a 2-hour sunset cruise along the shores of St. Petersburg. Book the best sunset cruise in Tampa Bay today.

Sunshine Skyway Bridge

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travelers

Sunshine Skyway Bridge - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• Stunning Helicopter Tour - Skyway Bridge, Fort Desoto & St. Pete Beaches (From $173.00)
• Magnificent Helicopter Tour -Tampa Bay, Skyway Bridge, Beaches of Pinellas Co. (From $235.00)
• 4-Hour St. Pete Pier to Egmont Key Experience by Ferry (From $66.67)
• Island Sunset and Skyway Light Show in St. Petersburg (From $79.10)
• 2-Hour Sunset Cruise Tour in St. Petersburg (From $66.67)
• (7.17 mi) Sunrise Garden Resort
• (4.61 mi) Fort de Soto Park Campground
• (7.32 mi) Anna Maria Motel Resort
• (7.26 mi) Residence Inn by Marriott St. Petersburg Tierra Verde
• (7.52 mi) Island's End Resort
• (7.20 mi) Hometown Desserts
• (9.80 mi) Buona Ristorante
• (9.66 mi) Slicker's Eatery
• (7.72 mi) The Ugly Grouper
• (8.57 mi) Holy Cow Ice Cream & Other Cool Stuff
• (0.01 mi) Skyway Fishing Pier State Park
• (3.83 mi) C Ponies Beach Horses
• (6.72 mi) Get Up And Go Kayaking - Tampa Bay
• (5.22 mi) Island Kayak Tours, LLC
• (5.79 mi) Five O'Clock Charlie Boat Tours

• Great Reading
• Advertisers

Florida Sunshine Skyway Bridge and the Cruise Ship

The Sunshine Skyway is a landmark of our beautiful Tampa Bay area.  I drive it often from Bradenton to St. Pete, Clearwater and Tampa.  I recently was on my way to Clearwater to photograph the rock band Foreigner.  As I was approaching the bridge, I looked out to see two cruise ships out in the bay.  It occurred to me that those ships would be making it to the bridge soon.  I decided to make a stop at the north fishing pier where there is a good view of the bridge. There were several people who had also stopped to watch as the ships got closer to the bridge.

Photos by Vicky Sullivan / Rock the Lens Photography

• Carnival Cruise Lines

How long to get to Skyway Bridge?

By betsyrossapk , August 17, 2004 in Carnival Cruise Lines

Recommended Posts

betsyrossapk

Just wondering how long it takes once the ship leaves the Port of Tampa to pass under the Skyway Bridge? We have heard so much about how impressive it is to see this & don't want to miss it. We do have the 6:15Pm dinner seating. Would the ship be passing under the bridge by then or is it too close?

79 days & counting

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

GoinCruisin

Well, we started foo-foos at noon, and really wanted to see the bridge, but missed it :mad: We were lost somewhere on the ship, LOL... we came out after we had gone under. Ship left at 4 and I am wanting to say it was close to 6? Most people had already left to start getting ready for early seating, I remember there weren't many people there... but you should be okay, just make sure you get ready quick and come back out on deck....

Tom-n-Cheryl

We have sailed out of Tampa a few times. We always have the 5:45 dinner - and the one thing we miss is being up on deck watching the ship go under the bridge... I seem to recall it is usually somewhere in the appetizer/salad time period... so lets say a little after 6.. it really depends when the ship ACTUALLY pulls away...

You may be cutting it close - but good luck!

I also missed it but, my children saw it. Ironically I was the one who was to determined to see it and they could have cared less.

If you can, it is definitely a sight to see. My boyfriend did the cruise on the Sensation last August out of Tampa. I'm not sure what time we went under, but I know it took awhile. We had late seating, so timing wasn't a problem. It was amazing to see us going under the bridge and how we barely made it. As I said, if you can see it, you should.

So I take it going under the bridge is definately a Kodak moment or perfect time to have the video camera rolling?

So the plan will be to go ahead & get ready for dinner & go back onto the deck to watch. Here's hoping that we leave on time :)

1 hr. 45 min. the last time I sailed under it.

cantwait2cruise

I missed it when we sailed on our HM b/c we were dead asleep...trying to recover from all the excitement of the wedding and flying out at 6 am. I definitely want to see it this time. We requested main second seating so maybe we can catch it right before dinner.

I missed it too, when we sailed in April. I guess I need to book another cruise out of Tampa!

Your post reminded me of my only experience with the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. In December 1981 I drove over the original bridge during the time when the Northbound span had been diverted to two-way traffic following the May 1980 freighter collision which sent 35 people 150 feet to their deaths after more than a thousand feet of the southbound lanes collapsed. Driving the bridge itself was memorable, but viewing the truncated -- and seemingly bottomless -- stump of the opposite lanes was stomach churning.

For history:

http://www.geocities.com/pagesbydave/SunSkyDemoHis.html

cruiserlisa

When I was on the Sensation in 2000 we left Tampa at 5 and went under the skyway at 7. So 2 hours is a safe estimate. The thrill of going under the bridge (and we were as close to the top of the ship as we could get) was seeing the ships funnel barely missing the bridge. It was awesome and a video moment.

Lisa :cool:

Yup, we did it about 10 years ago. DH couldn't wait to go under the bridge. Took close to 2 hours before we got there. We had late dinner so not a problem for us. It is very cool!!

cruisinonmymind

We went on the Sensation July 24, the day before, we drove over it. It was scary to me. Going under it was awesome. We left Tampa at 4pm and sailed under it about 6:20 pm. For sure a picture perfect moment/

Just back from the 7/25 Inspiration sailing. We departed Tampa at 4:00 and went under the Sunshine Skyway at 7:15 pm.

• 13 years later...

Wow! I was googling how long it takes a cruise ship to reach the bridge after leaving Port Tampa and found this post of mine from 13 years ago!

This is weird because I just returned from a cruise out of Port Tampa 3 weeks ago! I made sure I was up on deck when we sailed under the bridge! It was great!

funinthesun1964

We just back from Paradise a couple of weeks ago, we had 6 PM assigned dinner. We were at dinner when going under the bridge.

I've sailed "Paradise" many times out of Tampa, and always eat at first seating. We ALWAYS pass under the bridge while at dinner, so if you have early, and want to be on deck for the passage under the bridge, I'd recommend the buffet the first evening. (Oh by the way, it is, indeed, a sight that you won't soon forget.)

I've sailed "Paradise" many times out of Tampa, and always eat at first seating. We ALWAYS pass under the bridge while at dinner, so if you have early, and want to be on deck for the passage under the bridge, I'd recommend the buffet the first evening. (Oh by the way, it is, indeed, a sight that you won't soon forget.)   "SKY"

I was kinda cool how everyone cheers when we clear it! It is amazing how close we are. I would be curious to know how much clearance we had because it appears to have just been inches!

Sent from my Lenovo TB3-850F using Forums mobile app

Micahs Grandad

The one time we sailed out of Tampa we didnt want to miss the bridge so had dinner at buffet the first night. Well worth it.

sapphire_407

It is pretty cool. I've seen it. If it means that much to you I'd eat dinner upstairs on the Lido deck or somewhere else so you don't miss it

1h 45m-2h, great view, both in day light and when bridge is lit

crusinpsychRN

Goes under between 6pm and 6:30pm.

I live south of the Skyway and i wasn't to go over the bridge as a ship is sailing underneath. I've been close a few times.

• 4 months later...

When we went beneath it on Inspiration, it took between 2 1/2 - 3 hours to get to the bridge from the port.

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in

• Welcome to Cruise Critic
• ANNOUNCEMENT: Set Sail Beyond the Ordinary with Oceania Cruises
• ANNOUNCEMENT: The Widest View in the Whole Wide World
• New Cruisers
• Cruise Lines “A – O”
• Cruise Lines “P – Z”
• River Cruising
• Cruise Critic News & Features
• Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
• Special Interest Cruising
• Cruise Discussion Topics
• UK Cruising
• Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
• Canadian Cruisers
• North American Homeports
• Ports of Call
• Cruise Conversations

Announcements

• New to Cruise Critic? Join our Community!

Write Your Own Amazing Review !

Click this gorgeous photo by member SUPERstar777 to share your review!

Features & News

LauraS · Started Thursday at 10:20 PM

LauraS · Started Wednesday at 07:36 PM

LauraS · Started Wednesday at 12:53 AM

LauraS · Started Tuesday at 07:17 PM

LauraS · Started Monday at 10:08 PM

• Existing user? Sign in OR Create an Account
• Find Your Roll Call
• Meet & Mingle
• Community Help Center
• All Activity
• Member Photo Albums
• Meet & Mingle Photos
• Favorite Cruise Memories
• Cruise Food Photos
• Cruise Ship Photos
• Ports of Call Photos
• Towel Animal Photos
• Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos
• Write a Review
• Live Cruise Reports
• Member Cruise Reviews
• Create New...

Moscow - Russian Rivers and Waterways Port of Call

Moscow is a wonderful city to visit, and travelers on river ship cruise tours to or from St. Petersburg spend a few days in Moscow . This capital city of Russia was our last port on a river cruise tour, and we had about four days to see most of the highlights. Our first day we did an overview driving tour and rode the subway under the Mockba (Moscow) River to Red Square. The next day we toured the State Armory and the Kremlin.

These photos show some of the other highlights you can see with three or four days in Moscow .

The Northern River Terminal is located on the Moscow Canal in the northwest section of Moscow at the Khimki Reservoir.

Most river cruise ships sailing between Moscow and St. Petersburg use the ship as a hotel while in Moscow. Because of traffic, it's often a long drive into the city, but the sights along the way are interesting, and you only have to unpack once for the river cruise.

View of Downtown Moscow from Sparrow Hills

Sparrow Hills is the best place to get a great panoramic view of Moscow. The Sparrow Hills overlook the Mockba River and are near Moscow State University.

Novodevichy Convent in Moscow

Novodevichy Convent in Moscow was founded in 1524, and was once used as a sort of prison for the unwanted wives and sisters of the Tsars. Peter the Great sent both his first wife and his sister to Novodevichy. Since the convent had such famous nuns, it was very wealthy due to the many donations of the Tsars and their families. At one time in the 1700s, the cloister had over 36,000 serfs working in 36 villages. Novodevichy was ravaged by the French armies in 1812, but the brave nuns saved the buildings by disarming the fuses set to blow them up. The Soviets wanted to make the convent into a museum in the early 1920s, but it was again saved.

Novodevichy also has a cemetery with the graves of many famous Russians, including Nikita Khrushchev, Anton Chekhov, Raisa Gorbachev, and Yuri Nikulin.

View of the Mockba River in Moscow, Russia

The Mockba (Moscow) River runs into the Volga via the 79.5 mile long Moscow Canal.

River ships sailing between Moscow and St. Petersburg on the Baltic Waterways embark and disembark at the Northern River Terminal about an hour's drive from the city. The drive time can vary significantly in length because of the heavy Moscow traffic. The river looks peaceful here, as it winds around the cosmopolitan area of Moscow.

Cathedral of Christ the Redeemer (Cathedral of Christ the Savior) in Moscow

The Cathedral of Christ the Redeemer, also known as the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, is the largest church in Russia, holding 10,000 worshipers.

The original Cathedral of Christ the Savior was built over 44 years to celebrate the 1812 victory over Napoleon. It was completed in 1883. Stalin had the church destroyed in 1931, but it was rebuilt using mostly private funds in 1999. The new church is a replica of the original. Note that it took 44 years the first time and only 4 years the second to complete the church! Isn't modern technology impressive.

One interesting tidbit is that it took three attempts to blow up the church in 1931. Stalin planned to build a huge Palace of the Soviets on the cleared land, but engineers determined that the land was too boggy. In the 60 years intervening, the space was used for a variety of things, including a year-round swimming pool!

Vendors' Market and Ski Jump at Sparrow Hills in Moscow

The panoramic view of Moscow from Sparrow Hills is a stopover for most tour groups, so we were not surprised to see a large number of vendors. The ski jump was a surprise, but Moscow gets very cold in winter, so winter sports are very popular. This ski jump is near Moscow State University and has a great view of the city. Seeing this ski jump reminded me of the famous Holmenkollen Ski Jump in Oslo, which also has a great view of that northern capital city.

Russian Soldiers' Memorial in Victory Park in Moscow

Matryoshka dolls for sale in moscow.

I thought this display of dolls was beautiful! The Matryoshka nesting dolls range in price from just a few dollars to thousands of dollars.

Central Museum of Armed Forces in Moscow, Russia

This small band greeted us at the Central Museum of Armed Forces in Moscow. They played a variety of band music and made us all feel very welcome.

Grand Triumphal Arch Celebrates the Victory Over Napoleon in the War of 1812

This arch looks a little like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and it is located near the Victory Park Metro Station in Moscow.

This Grand Triumphal Arch is decorated with the coats of arms from the 48 Russian provinces. To celebrate the victory over France in the war of 1812, it also includes bas-reliefs of the "Expulsion of the French." The arch was originally built in 1834, but has only been on this site since 1968.

It is a little ironic that this arch resembles the Paris Arc de Triomphe , which Napoleon built between 1806 and 1836 to celebrate his French victories.

Moscow Metro Station at the Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square)

This station near Red Square has many statues honoring the workers of Russia.

Moscow Metro Station near Victory Park

The Metro in Moscow is one of its shining industrial achievements. Construction on the Metro was begun in 1931 and continues today. The system has over 165 stations and 155 miles of track. Over 9300 trains, traveling sometimes as fast as 56 mph, navigate the huge system each day. Almost 10 million people ride the Moscow Metro every day, which is more than the New York and London systems combined. We found the Metro to be very efficient, with trains arriving every few minutes.

Navigating the Metro system can be somewhat of a problem for non-Russian speaking riders. Most of the signage is in Cyrillic only, and the stations are quite large. Trying to find the correct exit while walking long distances underground can be challenging.

On our cruise tour, we rode the Metro as a group with our program director from near Victory Park under the Mockba River to Red Square. Several of the group ventured out on their own during our time in Moscow, and many rode the Metro. They all returned with stories of getting lost underground, but none seemed the worse for the experience, and they all loved telling the tales.

Red Square in Moscow

Red Square in Moscow is a must-see for visitors to the capital city of Russia.

The Kremlin in Moscow, Russia

The Kremlin is a favorite of Moscow tourists. Inside these walls are buildings for the government of Russia, cathedrals, and the wonderful State Armory museum.

Taras Bulba Restaurant in Moscow

We enjoyed a traditional Ukrainian lunch at this cute restaurant in Moscow before checking in at our hotel.

Buses Wait for Passengers Outside Museum

River cruise tour groups are usually divided into groups for the duration of the tour. Each group had their own bus when touring.

Military Airplanes at the Central Museum of Armed Forces in Moscow, Russia

Although much of the military museum was indoors, there was quite a collection of planes, helicopters, missile launchers, and tanks outside.

Foreign Ministry Building, One of Moscow's Seven Stalinist-Gothic Skyscrapers

Seven skyscrapers with layers giving them a "wedding cake" appearance dot the Moscow skyline. The style is considered Stalinist-Gothic.

Russian and American War Veterans at the Central Museum of Armed Forces

Meeting with some World War II Russian War veterans was a highlight of our day at the Central Museum of Armed Forces in Moscow.

Rocket Launchers and Missiles at the Central Museum of Armed Forces in Moscow

The inside of this museum is particularly impressive, but you will need a guide since all of the signage is only in Russian.

Old Arbat Pedestrian Shopping Area in Moscow

We all enjoyed exploring the shops on this mile-long pedestrian shopping area.

Food prices were high in the tourist attraction, with two small pizzas, two small beers, and a bottle of water at an outdoor cafe costing $40. Many of our group ate at the large McDonalds, where prices were more reasonable.

Female Cosmonaut Model at Star City Cosmonaut Training Center near Moscow

Female cosmonauts play an important role in the Russian space program. In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova from Yaroslavl was the first woman in space.

Souvenir Shop in Old Arbat Shopping Area in Moscow

The area of Old Arbat had many English signs to attract the tourist trade.

Centrifuge at Star City Outside Moscow, Russia

This 18 meter centrifuge is the world's largest. The centrifuge weighs over 30000 tons, and the maximum load is 30 G, but most tests are run at 3 or 4 G.

A centrifuge ride is the first test for a cosmonaut, whose entire training school takes from five to eight years. The centrifuge can simulate the extreme force of gravity that cosmonauts (and astronauts) face when going into space. A centrifuge training session lasts about 30 minutes, and the trainee experiences both the centrifugal force as well as the spin of the pod he/she is riding in. Just typing this makes me a little queasy!

Cosmonaut's Bathroom Facilities on First Space Flights at Star City

Just like in the USA, everyone who visits the Star City cosmonaut training center near Moscow wants to know how cosmonauts "go to the bathroom". They have more sophisticated equipment today, but this contraption from the early space flights is fairly self explanatory.

Star City Tank Used for Cosmonaut Weightlessness Training near Moscow

This 12-meter deep pool is used to simulate weightlessness training. The pool is flooded and the cosmonauts perform repair tasks on the model of the International Space Station. SCUBA diving underwater is very similar to the weightless experience the cosmonauts experience when working in outer space.

Mir Space Station Replica at Star City near Moscow

The original Mir disintegrated when it fell to earth in 2001. Mir, which means peace in Russian, was launched in 1986.

Marvel Paull with Statue of Yuri Gagarin at Star City near Moscow

Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space, and the Star City Cosmonaut training center was named after him in 1968.

River Cruise Passengers with Yuri Onufrienko, Russian Cosmonaut at Star City

In case you can't tell, Yuri is the one in the middle. My famous traveling mother, Marvel Paull, is on the left and Dick, a cruise friend is on the right.

A highlight of our day in Star City was a visit with Yuri Onufrienko , a Russian cosmonaut who spent extended time in space at the Mir space station in 1996 and the International Space Station in 2001-2002. Yuri patiently took many questions from our small inquisitive group.

Cosmonaut Space Suit at Star City near Moscow

Cosmonauts sit in this position on take off. Thanks to Jerry G. for the tip about the sign. It says, "Don't touch!"

Stained Glass Window at Star City near Moscow

Program directors at farewell dinner in moscow.

After 16 days of discovery, learning, and fun, we had a farewell dinner with the six Program Directors - Evgeny, Olga, Vladimir, Svetlana, Violetta, and Marina - in Moscow.

The Kremlin is a triangular, walled citadel in the center of Moscow. The Kremlin is considered by most to be the heart of the city. First conceived in the 12th century, the Kremlin (which means fortress) was expanded by Tsar Ivan III (Ivan the Great) during the 15th century. His architects designed the magnificent Cathedral of the Assumption and the Faceted Palace, and the Kremlin was an interesting mix of both Russian and Renaissance styles. During the Soviet time of the 1930s, many of the Kremlin buildings were destroyed or vandalized, and the complex remained closed to the public until 1955.

Today the Kremlin is home to the Russian President and his administration. Many buildings are open to the public, but you may need to be with a guide (check in advance).

I visited the Kremlin when in Moscow on a Russian Waterways cruise tour from St. Petersburg.

The Kremlin was also one of the 21 finalists for the New Seven Wonders of the World.  

Red Square in Moscow, Russia

Red Square's name has nothing to do with Communism or Soviet Russia. The old Russian word for "beautiful" and "red" was the same; the square was supposed to be called "Beautiful Square". Red Square has been the center of Moscow activity since the 16th century when the Tsar cleared the area and allowed vendors, shoppers, and businesses to fill the square. Today this square is surrounded by the Moscow Kremlin, the State Historical Museum, GUM Shopping Mall , and St. Basil's Cathedral .

Many of the important events of the last three hundred years in Russia have been marked by parades or demonstrations in Red Square. Anyone who enters Red Square will have memories from TV or movie reels of this magnificent public square. Those of us who grew up during the Cold War era can remember the parades of soldiers, tanks, and other armaments past Lenin's Tomb just outside the Kremlin Wall. The World War II generation remembers Red Square as the site of a huge victory celebration at the end of the war.

25 Best Things to Do in Moscow

St. Petersburg, Russia

A Guide to Moscow: Capital of Russia, City of Domes

9 Things to See in Moscow's Red Square

Moscow in September: Weather, What to Pack, and What to See

10 Must-Visit Palaces and Castles in Russia

St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow: Planning Your Visit

Photos of Russia

Soviet Sights in Moscow – Moscow USSR Sites

Moscow Attractions for Children

The Top 12 Things to Do in Astrakhan

Moscow Metro: The Complete Guide

The Top 12 Things to Do in Novgorod, Russia

The Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg

The Top 15 Places to Visit in Russia

Regensburg: Planning Your Trip

• Bahasa Indonesia
• Slovenščina
• Science & Tech
• Russian Kitchen

Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.

to our newsletter!

Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox

• What to do in Moscow City, if you’re not mega-rich
• Moscow after dusk: 10 places to drink, dance, and groove
• 5 things you must do in Moscow in 2018 between football matches (or without them)
• Sandwiched between Moscow and St. Petersburg: How to spend a perfect weekend in Tver 
• 24 or 48 hours in Moscow: Where to go and what to do in 2019

This website uses cookies. Click here to find out more.

Missing workers in Key Bridge collapse presumed dead, search called off: Live updates

Editor's Note: This page is a summary of news on the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse for Tuesday, March 26. For the latest news on the collapse, view our live updates file for Wednesday, March 27 .

BALTIMORE − The U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday evening it was calling off the search-and-rescue mission for the six construction workers that went missing when a cargo ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early in the morning, sending it collapsing into the frigid Patapsco River and shutting down a critical artery for East Coast shipping .

Officials said water temperatures around 46 to 48 degrees, poor visibility and changing currents played a role in the decision after a dogged attempt to find the workers.

“Based on the length of time that we’ve gone on this search, the extensive search efforts that we’ve put into it, the water temperature, at this point we do not believe that we’re going to find any of these individuals still alive,'' Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon N. Gilreath said in a news conference. "So this evening at about 7:30 we are going to suspend the active search-and-rescue efforts.’’

The focus of the operation would switch to recovery and restart at 6 a.m. Wednesday, officials said.

Around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday a Singapore-flagged vessel named Dali struck the Key Bridge as it was leaving the Port of Baltimore, causing the span to collapse in seconds. Officials said the crew warned of a power issue and sent out a "mayday" before the collision. Footage of the incident shows the cargo ship smash into one of the columns before the bridge snapped, hit the water and partially fell on the ship, where a burst of flames and smoke could be seen rising into the night sky.

Several vehicles were on the bridge at the time of impact and plunged into the river, which was cold enough to cause hypothermia. There were multiple contractors on the bridge who were repairing potholes, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said. So far two people have been rescued. One was unharmed and the other remains in "very serious condition," he said.

Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, said at an afternoon news conference the agency will lead the investigation, but she would not provide information on fatalities or injuries from the incident, leaving that to local authorities.

A senior U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly told USA TODAY the ship apparently lost power a few minutes before striking the bridge. A federal report has confirmed that version of events , saying the crew lost its ability to control the vessel.

Developments:

∎  Brawner Builders, the employer of the six missing workers, told media outlets including the Baltimore Sun that they're presumed dead.

∎ The University of Maryland Medical Center's trauma center treated one patient from the collapse who has been discharged, Michael Schwartzberg, the medical center's spokesperson, said in an email. Schwartzberg declined to say more about the person's injuries, citing patient privacy concerns.

∎ Dr. David Efron, the center’s chief of trauma, said falling from the bridge − with clearance of more 185 feet − into 48-degree water would present life-threatening risks. Being submerged for more than an hour in water at that temperature is “almost invariably going to not be survivable.”

∎  The National Transportation Safety Board is scheduled to hold a news conference about its investigation into the incident Tuesday afternoon.

∎ Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott issued a state of emergency to better mobilize resources and work quickly to "address this crisis," he said in a post on X . The governor of Maryland issued a state of emergency earlier Tuesday.

Crew lost control as propulsion deserted ship, report says

The Dali lost propulsion leaving port and its crew lost control of the ship, prompting the crew to alert Maryland officials of a possible collision, an unclassified Department of Homeland Security report revealed Tuesday.

An official who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed to USA TODAY that the DHS cybersecurity agency is working with federal, state and local officials "to understand the potential impacts of this morning’s collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge."

This was not the Dali's first harsh encounter with a pier, and that time its leadership was determined to be at fault. It's too early to know what caused Tuesday's accident.

The cargo ship that  struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge  collided with a shipping dock in Belgium in 2016. That incident occurred as the Dali was leaving port in Antwerp and hit a loading pier made of stone, causing damage to the ship’s stern, according to the VesselFinder.com website, which tracks ships across the world. An investigation determined a mistake made by the ship’s master and pilot was to blame.

No one was injured in that crash, although the ship required repair and a full inspection before being returned to service. The pier – or berth – was also seriously damaged and had to be closed.

− Josh Meyer, Emily Le Coz and Claire Thornton

Two Guatemalan workers among six missing

Two Guatemalan nationals are among the six workers who were on the bridge when it was struck early Tuesday, the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry said. Their ages are 26 and 35, respectively, and their families have been notified, the ministry said in a statement, which also noted the other missing workers are from Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador. 

"We will continue requesting information from the authorities and information about search and rescue efforts to find the missing Guatemalans," the statement said.

− Eduardo Cuevas

What did the most recent inspection report say about the bridge?

Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge was listed in overall fair condition in 2021, the most recent inspection report in the Federal Highway Administration’s  National Bridge Inventory  at the time of its  collapse early Tuesday morning . 

However, the database noted that, “Bank protection is in need of minor repairs. River control devices and embankment protection have a little minor damage. Banks and/or channel have minor amounts of drift.” 

Other structural elements showed  “some minor deterioration”  but were otherwise listed in satisfactory condition.

− Cecilia Garzella and Yoonserk Pyun

'We're with you': Biden says federal government will rebuild bridge

President Joe Biden said he intends for the federal government to cover the entire cost to rebuild the Key Bridge, and he committed not to leave “until this job gets done.”

“We're with you. We're going to stay with you as long as it takes,” Biden said Tuesday afternoon from the White House Roosevelt Room.

Biden said he spoke with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and other local and state officials about the bridge’s collapse, and said he would visit the site in the future. “I told them we're going to send all the federal resources they need as we respond to this emergency − I mean all the federal resources. And we're going to rebuild that port together.”

Biden said eight people remain unaccounted for, but the figure might change. Two people were rescued. "Everything so far indicates that his was a terrible accident,” Biden said, adding there’s no reason to believe it was intentional.

“Our prayers are with everyone involved in this terrible accident and all the families, especially those waiting for news of their loved ones right now,” Biden said. “I know every minute in that circumstance feels like a lifetime.”

Biden said the ongoing rescue operation remains the top priority but relayed that he told Moore he has directed his team to “move heaven and earth to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as humanly possible."

− Joey Garrison

Crewman reports all on board Dali are safe

This past weekend, Andrew Middleton took the ship's captain and a crewman shopping at a nearby Walmart. Since 9/11, international crews have to be escorted by a vetted person through most port areas, and Middleton said it's fairly common for crews like the Dali's to request assistance from the Apostleship of the Sea Baltimore Stella Maris International Seafarers' Center, where he is the director. The group is part of the Catholic Church's Archdiocese of Baltimore.

"They were by all appearances in good spirits," Middleton said, and they chatted in his van about the ship's planned 28-day voyage around the Horn of Africa to Sri Lanka. Middleton said crews usually buy personal toiletries and snacks before long trips.

Middleton woke up Tuesday morning to the shocking news the ship hit the bridge, and he immediately messaged one of the crewmen via WhatsApp. "My question to him was, 'Is everyone OK?' And the answer was, 'Yes sir, everyone is safe,'" Middleton told USA TODAY.

The crew is still aboard the ship while authorities assess the situation. Middleton said he's prepared to send them any supplies they need if they're stuck aboard for an extended period. And he said he's making plans to help them once they're freed and returned to shore. He said he expects the Dali will be towed back into the harbor and docked for a damage assessment. Middleton added that he worries both about the missing workers from the bridge and also the port workers who may be temporarily unemployed if the harbor gets shut down.

"Obviously, this incident has a large impact on the port community,'' he said. "If this extends a long period of time, we're going to have longshoreman and stevedores who are not working, tugboat crews who are not working. It has the potential, if it becomes a drawn-out event, to affect many lives."

− Trevor Hughes

Commuter finds sight of damaged bridge 'devastating to watch'

Charlotte Robinson's commute from her home in Delaware to her accounting job in Washington, D.C., took a detour Tuesday morning, when driving over the Francis Scott Key Bridge wasn't an option. In the past she figured that route was safe, but the bridge's collapse sparked difficult discussions with her colleagues who commute.

"It was devastating to watch,'' Robinson said of the crumpled bridge after it was hit by a 985-foot-long cargo ship. "And you have to ask yourself, if that was me, what would my plan be? How would I try to survive this, if I was trapped, if my car went into the water?”

Robinson said she often sees ships passing under the bridge during her morning commute; in the evenings, when she’s on her way home, there are usually fewer boats. Tuesday, she said, “You could see all these boats, just lined up because they had no place to go.”

Another common sight during her commute was construction workers both on the bridge and below it, sometimes hanging over the water in harnesses. Her thoughts turned to those workers as she watched the news Tuesday in her office. "I almost couldn't breathe watching the news," she said.

− Phaedra Trethan

'It's devastating to the city'

Greg Trenchard, 43, awoke Tuesday to a flurry of text messages and missed calls from his out of state relatives checking in on him after hearing about the Key Bridge collapse.

“I’ve driven over it 100 times and now to see that it’s gone is pretty crazy,” he said Tuesday.

Trenchard, an auditor, said he then tried to make his way to Fort Armistead Park, where he’d come many times before to take photos of the bridge at sunrise and sunset. But the normally quick drive took nearly 40 minutes due to the traffic detours, and a police roadblock next to Royal Farms, a convenience store, about a mile and half from the park stopped him from getting any closer to the scene.

“It’s a blow,” he said of the collapse. “It’s devastating to the city, it’s devastating to port traffic and everything they’re trying to do to revitalize the shipping industry in Maryland and keep that going.”

– N'dea Yancey-Bragg

Air, land and water search underway

Multiple local, state and federal agencies are coordinating the massive search, which spans a vast section of the river – both above and below the surface of the water – and the ship itself, Wallace said. Divers, helicopters and sonar technology were being used and had located several vehicles submerged in the river, which is about 50-feet-deep where the bridge collapsed.

"This water is current influenced, so right now we think the tide is coming back in," he said.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency and said he is working with an interagency team to "quickly deploy federal resources from the Biden Administration."

"This is an unthinkable tragedy," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said at a news conference.

Expert says river current makes search more difficult

Jim Bellingham, the executive director for the Johns Hopkins Institute for Assured Autonomy and expert in marine robotics lives in nearby Fells Point, and talked to USA TODAY about some of the challenges faced by rescuers.

“Nothing is staying put in the ocean,” he said. “Everything is moving” in the Patapsco River, a tidal estuary, which presents just one difficulty for rescue efforts. Rescuers would have to determine the speed and direction of the current to figure out where to search – toward Baltimore Harbor, or out toward the Chesapeake Bay.

Bellingham said it’s likely any workers who may have been on the bridge would have been wearing reflective vests and even flotation devices that would improve visibility in the dark river. They might also have flares, and are more easily spotted by rescue helicopters.

Rescuers are using sonar, lights, cameras and robotic machinery as well as human divers, but Bellingham said divers would face their own risks, as the wreckage might not be stable.

The longer the search goes on, the less likely rescuers are to find survivors, given the temperature of the water, and the likelihood of people being trapped with little to no air. But Baltimore, with many Navy and Coast Guard facilities and military contractors nearby, might be as well prepared to deal with the disaster as any place.

“Their job is to rescue people,” Bellingham said. “They want to believe they can do that, and there’s a tendency not to want to give up.”

– Phaedra Trethan

Cargo ship was headed for Sri Lanka

The container vessel was chartered by the major shipping company Maersk and was carrying its cargo, according to a statement from the company. When it crashed into the bridge, no Maersk crew and personnel were onboard the vessel, which is operated by charter vessel company Synergy Group and owned by Singapore-based Grace Ocean Pte.

The Dali was slated to arrive April 22 in Sri Lanka, according to MarineTraffic, a global ship tracking service.

"We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected," Maersk said in a statement. "We are closely following the investigations conducted by authorities and Synergy, and we will do our utmost to keep our customers informed."

Synergy Marine Corp said the Dali collided with one of the pillars of the bridge and that all its crew members, including two pilots, have been accounted for and there were no reports of any injuries.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Erin Palmer said at a news conference Tuesday that the agencies remain focused on search-and-rescue. She did not comment on the crew of the ship or provide additional details about the collision.

All vessel traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore was suspended until further notice, but the port is still open for truck transports, Wiedefeld said. Traffic, meanwhile, is being diverted from the area around the Key Bridge.

Baltimore port closed to ships 'until further notice'

Shortly after the bridge collapse, the Port of Baltimore suspended vessel traffic “until further notice,” according to its website.

“This does not mean the Port of Baltimore is shut down. We are still processing trucks inside of our terminals,” the statement said.

But Bloomberg reported that the port “looks to be out of commission indefinitely.”

At least 40 ships are now more or less trapped inside the port, according to Reuters. At least 30 other ships planned to arrive there.

“They will likely have to reroute shipping to other ports on the East Coast,” said Kevin Linderman, a professor and supply chain expert at Pennsylvania State University. “However, this will put additional demand on these ports, and shippers may not be able to access US markets” as efficiently, he said.

“One critical question is, can the other ports handle the products that were destined to Baltimore?”

– Daniel de Visé

'A lot of tears' for families

Baltimore residents turned out to support those affected by the tragedy. Dozens of people gathered at the Mt. Olive Baptist Church of Turner Station during an emotional prayer vigil Tuesday evening.Faith leaders and city officials including Mayor Brandon Scott prayed for the families of those missing after the bridge collapse and the first responders working at the scene.“We can only imagine what is going through their minds and through their hearts and through their bodies. None of us want to experience that,” Scott said Tuesday. “We have to lift them up, support them not just today, not just tomorrow but for the foreseeable future.”Father Ako Walker, priest at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, said a prayer in Spanish to show solidarity with the six people who are still missing after the collapse. Following the vigil, Walker told reporters he has been providing support to family members whose loved ones are missing.“It’s difficult for them,” he said. “You know, you can see the pain etched on their faces. There’s a lot of tears.”

Will the Baltimore bridge collapse impact cruises?

Baltimore is a destination for several major cruise lines. According to the Cruise Lines International Association, the industry’s leading trade group, published itineraries in the 2024 calendar year include a dozen ships making 115 stops in Baltimore.

Royal Caribbean and Carnival have April sailings that could be impacted by the bridge collapse, according to their websites. 

Carnival told USA TODAY it was premature to comment on impacts to future sailings.

American Cruise Lines has roundtrip sailings from Baltimore scheduled in May, according to its website. The cruise line told USA TODAY their schedules remain unaffected but will make adjustments if needed to future cruises.

Norwegian Cruise Line doesn’t appear to have any Baltimore sailings until September.

– Eve Chen and Nathan Diller

Will the port shutdown affect consumer goods, prices?

Several big firms have distribution warehouses near the port, including Amazon and FedEx, one analyst noted in a tweet on X.  

Even so, some analysts predict only a minimal impact on the movement of goods up and down the East Coast from the bridge collapse.

Baltimore’s port holds just 4% of all East Coast trade volume, according to S&P Global. New York’s port, by contrast, does 38% of that business.

Yet, the port offers the deepest harbor in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, is closer to the Midwest than any other East Coast port, and is within an overnight drive of one-third of the US population, according to the port website .

The port boasts five public and 12 private terminals. In 2023, it ranked first in the nation in handling automobiles and light trucks. 

“For the American consumer, the biggest impact will be felt in terms of imported motor vehicles,” said Jason Miller, a business professor at Michigan State University. If sales remain strong, he said, “we could see inventories drop on the lots of dealers that sell imported vehicles until alternative arrangements can be made. This could increase motor vehicle prices for some makes and models.”

Alternate routes around collapsed Baltimore bridge

The Maryland Transportation Authority was suggesting drivers take Interstate 95 or Interstate 895 as alternatives to the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge along Interstate 695.

“I-695 Outer Loop closed at MD 10 (exit 2) and Inner Loop closed at MD 157/Peninsula Exp (exit 43),” MDTA said in a post on X.

Drivers could take several other, longer routes around Baltimore, but I-95 (Fort McHenry Tunnel) and I-895 (Baltimore Harbor Tunnel) are the most direct alternatives across the water.

There are few exceptions.

MDTA notes, vehicles carrying hazardous materials, including more than 10 pounds of propane, are not allowed in the tunnels. Additionally, vehicles more than 13-feet and 6-inches high or 8-feet wide may not use the 1-895 Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. Vehicles more than 14-feet and 6-inches high or 11-feet wide may not use the I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel.

Those vehicles should use the western portion of I-695 instead.

How cold is the Patapsco River?

The Patapsco River is about 50 feet deep where the ship hit the bridge, officials said during a press conference Tuesday morning. Part of the 39-mile river helps form the Baltimore Harbor, just northwest of the bridge collapse, and it flows out to the Chesapeake Bay.

A buoy in the Patapsco River indicated the water temperature Tuesday morning was currently about 47 degrees, while the air is around 41 degrees, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Whereas hypothermia is thought to occur at very cold temperatures, it can occur in waters below 70 degrees, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

Key Bridge collapse draws comparisons to Florida's Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapse

In 1980, a Florida bridge also collapsed after a ship collided with it, leading to the deaths of 35 motorists and bus passengers.

A 1,200-foot chunk of the Sunshine Skyway bridge – which connects St. Petersburg and Bradenton – collapsed after the massive Summit Venture freighter slammed into one of its central support piers.

When the section of the bridge fell into Tampa Bay, it took a truck, seven cars and a Greyhound bus with it.

The Herald-Tribune, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported the crash happened during an intense thunderstorm , with winds reaching 80 mph and heavy rain. At the time, visibility was near-zero, according to local historians who made a documentary film about the collapse.

After the collapse, the freighter remained stuck beneath the bridge, with part of the roadway on top of its bow. Photos from the time also show how one motorist was able to skip his car to a stop just inches away from where the bridge fell into the water.

-Claire Thornton

How vital is the Francis Scott Key Bridge?

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, named for the author of the "Star Spangled Banner," is a 1.6-mile, 4-lane bridge that crosses over the Patapsco River, according to the MDTA. It opened in 1977.

The port’s private and public terminals handled 847,158 autos and light trucks in 2023, the most of any U.S. port. The port also handles farm and construction machinery, sugar, gypsum and coal, according to a Maryland government website.

The span is the outermost of three major Patapsco River crossings at Baltimore Harbor, according to the American Civil Engineering Society. The steel-arched bridge, with a total length of 8,636 feet, was the second-longest continuous-truss bridge span in the world when it was built and remains the second longest in the United States and third in the world, according to the society .

Contributing: Reuters; Tom Vanden Brook, Eduardo Cuevas , USA TODAY

Wes Moore envisioned economic revival. Then the Key Bridge collapsed.

The freshman governor, an ascendant figure for democrats who had already faced high expectations, now tackles his first major test in a moment of crisis.

PATAPSCO RIVER — Rain pierced the fog in the quiet Baltimore Harbor as Maryland Gov. Wes Moore stood on the bow of a Coast Guard cutter, flanked by other grim-faced politicians approaching the twisted remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

“It doesn’t look real,” Moore said. “It just doesn’t look real.”

To his right, the southern trusses of the Key Bridge hinged over the 248 million-pound Dali, the wayward container ship that collapsed the bridge the day before, disrupting global supply chains in a few catastrophic, fatal seconds . To his left, dive teams worked to free the remains of two construction workers from a red pickup truck submerged in the murky deep.

Confronted with the wreckage up close for the first time, Moore said he felt heartbreak. And while he believed the team he had built could meet the moment, he said that the path ahead is “daunting.”

The first major test of his first term in public office had nearly severed the economic artery to Maryland’s largest and most troubled city — his own adopted hometown. Baltimore had been on the rise, and he had promised to help usher in a renaissance. Months ago, he said the problem that kept him up at night was that Maryland’s lackluster economy couldn’t finance the state’s ambitions. The recently expanded port, generating 15,000 jobs and handling a record $80 billion worth of foreign cargo , was a bright spot. But now that activity would flow elsewhere .

Suddenly, Moore’s community was grieving. Commutes were upended. Thousands of jobs were at stake . A divided Congress needed to be persuaded to help . The world was watching, and the bodies of four more construction workers were encased in the bridge’s superstructure. The families wanted their loved ones’ bodies back.

Standing on the cutter, Moore considered the transformed skyline. What rises there next could allow for even bigger ships — and more economic opportunity — to sail into Baltimore’s ports, one day. He asked his staff to begin exploring that. For now, he has requested detailed memos on what went right when Minneapolis rebuilt its major bridge in a year after its 2007 collapse, and on what went wrong in Tampa Bay when it took seven years to rebuild its Sunshine Skyway after a freighter hit it in 1980.

The days ahead called for strategy and diplomacy. They required a front-and-center presence on national television to reassure the public, reach for help and position Baltimore’s crisis as everyone’s problem. Those parts, he knew how to do. It’s easier than what comes next.

Even before the collapsed bridge put Moore, 45, in the world’s spotlight, he faced enormous expectations .

Some he built himself, promising to end child poverty and “leave no one behind.” Some he could not avoid, such as the gravity of being the lone Black governor of a U.S. state. People started talking about a future presidential bid for the former Rhodes scholar and Afghanistan war veteran before he even took office. The Democratic Party was counting on his surrogacy to help reelect President Biden .

Dry and seated in his satellite office in a downtown Baltimore office tower two hours after surveying the damage, Moore said he feels as though his life has been a series of steppingstones that, in hindsight, was preparation for this crisis.

“I wasn’t leading soldiers and saying, ‘One day this is gonna be great when I run for governor.’ Or when you’re running a business or you’re working in finance, you’re not doing that saying, ‘Well, this is a great skill set.’ But it was, right?” he said.

“I just feel like everything about the complexity of this time we find ourselves in, everything that we have done, has really prepared us for this moment when so much about the future of the state is very much on the line,” he said.

“And so this is daunting,” he said. “But we’re not flinching.”

‘Hey, what do you need?’

Moore was in Boston on Tuesday, focusing on economic development in advance of being honored for his “inspired leadership,” when the call came from Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D), just after 1:30 a.m. He didn’t hear it. His chief of staff’s call awoke him, but the magnitude did not hit him until he saw footage of the ship careening into the Key Bridge, fracturing steel like matchsticks.

On less than three hours’ sleep, Moore talked to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. He declared a state of emergency. He repeatedly asked for an earlier flight than the 5:48 a.m. JetBlue trip to Baltimore that still left behind some staff members — and some of his essential staff’s luggage.

“You can learn a lot about a person when a crisis emerges,” said Tom Perez, a senior White House adviser to Biden and former Democratic National Committee chair who lost the 2022 primary to Moore. This week, Perez helped coordinate the federal response in his home state. “ And from the moment we learned of this … Governor Moore was steadfast.”

“‘Hey, what do you need?’ That’s the first question that the president asked him,” Perez recalled. Moore had a clear answer, and plans and ideas, he said.

Baltimore bridge collapse

Moore’s nearly empty flight was descending toward Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport south of the city, as the mayor was telling the world the collapse “looked like something from an action movie.”

When Moore addressed the cameras two hours later, he emphasized the victims, their families and the region’s collective grief.

He then deviated from the plan, aides said, when he revealed that the ship had issued a mayday call that allowed police to stop traffic on the bridge, setting a global narrative focused on the heroes and what went right.

Moore went on to set a tone he would amplify in the coming days, praising Baltimore’s strength and casting the region’s fortunes as worthy of national attention and tied to the global economy.

By midday, Biden said he would “move heaven and earth” to help, citing the Port of Baltimore’s role in the global supply chain. He pledged the federal government would pay the full cost to rebuild the bridge. The price tag could reach $1 billion , according to two people familiar with early government estimates, aside from the cost of clearing the shipping channel.

Before the collapse, slightly more than half of Maryland voters approved of the job Moore had done during his first 14 months in office, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll conducted March 5-12.

Moore received some of his highest marks from registered Democrats, with 66 percent saying he had done a good job. About 1 in 5 voters said they had no opinion, and roughly a quarter of Republicans gave him positive marks.

Among the detractors was Republican Richard Jeffrey Fisher, 66, who said he has not been a fan of the Moore administration so far because of the governor’s approach to almost every political issue. But Fisher, a retired machinist from Anne Arundel County, said the governor has stepped up in this moment.

“He’s not sitting on his butt,” Fisher said, rating Moore’s response “okay so far.”

Midmorning Tuesday, Moore was leaving a briefing when a Republican state delegate who represents the port area approached him. They embraced. They prayed.

“Governor Moore has handled this as a stellar gentleman,” Del. Ric Metzgar (R-Baltimore County), a Pentecostal minister, recalled of the exchange. “You know, this man’s not a trained politician. This is not what he’s used to, but I think he is handling this very, very well.”

That afternoon, Moore spent an hour with relatives of the six construction workers who had been on the bridge to repair potholes and were now missing. He comforted them while they cried and prayed with them. By the end of the day, the Coast Guard announced that the rescue mission had ended. The workers, all immigrants, were presumed dead.

The next morning, again on three hours of sleep, Moore was at the bridge site 10 minutes before dawn for four consecutive TV interviews on national morning shows. First he focused on the victims’ families; then he began ramping up his case that Baltimore’s economic problem should be everyone’s concern.

Farmers in Kentucky rely on equipment imported via Baltimore, he said. Auto dealers in Michigan would feel the consequences.

“The collapse of the Key Bridge is not just a Maryland crisis,” he continued at a Wednesday news conference. “The collapse of the Key Bridge is a global crisis. The national economy and the world’s economy depends on the Port of Baltimore.”

To Kaye Whitehead, a Loyola University Maryland professor and Baltimore talk-radio host, it was the sort of message people were longing to hear in oft-unappreciated Baltimore, which has drawn attention for the acclaimed HBO series “The Wire,” about the city’s troubles, and entered the global spotlight for 2015 unrest after the death of Freddie Gray in police custody.

“We need this firm sense that someone has our best interests at heart, someone will be there fighting for us, someone can really show the compassion and empathy that is needed at this moment,” Whitehead said. “He uplifted the best of Baltimore and who we are, what we do here and what we contribute both to the state and to the world.”

‘It’s a marathon you’ve got to run like a sprint’

Two hours after his morning-show blitz, Moore was at the port’s cruise ship terminal.

Joined by the mayor, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman, Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski Jr. and Rep. David Trone (D-Md.), U.S. Coast Guard officials delivered a briefing on recovery efforts and the impending feat of maritime engineering the salvage operation required.

Pittman watched, impressed with how Moore’s staff was empowered to ask questions alongside the governor and how quickly Moore processed so much information.

“I’ve always known that he’s a good listener,” Pittman said. “He’s completely in your world when he talks to you. But when he’s being briefed by whoever it is, I was watching how he’s completely absorbed in what that person is saying. And then you can tell that he’s on top of it from the questions that he asks.”

After the briefing, together, the politicians boarded the USCGC James Rankin to retrace the course the Dali took before it lost power and veered into the bridge’s support structure.

Moore peppered the Coast Guard personnel with questions about the location of the shipping channels, crouching to examine a depth chart of the harbor and nodding attentively as they pointed out where tugboats had peeled off after helping to maneuver the Dali into the channel.

As the rain grew heavier, his focus turned to all the pieces required to remove the submerged metal-and-concrete superstructure and how long similar work took elsewhere.

In the first 36 hours, Moore leaned on his sprawling network of mentors and said he reached out to several other governors: Maura Healey (D) in Massachusetts, Josh Shapiro (D) in Pennsylvania and Andy Beshear (D) in Kentucky, “who has had to go through natural disaster after natural disaster in his time.”

“I made some calls at some pretty random hours of the night, just asking people if they can just give me 10 minutes of their time,” he said. “The best advice is: Never forget, this is going to be a marathon. But it’s a marathon you’ve got to run like a sprint.”

His profile elevated, Moore drew both accolades and scorn online: A reply to a social media post of him wearing a Coast Guard life vest before boarding a boat read “2028 Presidential campaign content.”

Moore also endured the same racist attacks unleashed on Baltimore’s mayor, with people calling both men “DEI” politicians — an initialism for “diversity, equity and inclusion” that some used to suggest the men were undeserving of their elected positions.

“We know that so many folks, for any mistake that he makes, folks will say: This is why ‘they’ can’t be in these kind of positions,” Scott said. “And he’s proving those folks wrong.”

Moore later responded to the vitriol by saying, “I have no time for foolishness.”

Moore left the Coast Guard boat and returned to the Maryland Cruise Terminal, where his transportation team was waiting to brief him in the lounge normally reserved for cruise ship employees. He had questions about the state’s insurance policies, the process to request federal emergency aid, the cost-benefit analysis of rebuilding the Key Bridge in a way that would usher in more economic activity.

As he left the room, headed downtown to meet his senior staff, his phone rang with no caller ID. “Hello, Mr. President,” he said, stepping into a storage closet to talk.

Downtown, Moore listened to his circle of senior advisers give updates and troubleshoot as they devised strategies to expeditiously clear the channel, get resources to roughly 8,000 dockworkers, and address the ripple effects on an estimated 140,000 jobs linked to port activity. State lawmakers were also working on ways to stave off the calamity facing port workers.

“These next few days are going to set the tone for everything we’re going to do,” Moore told them, saying that he “could care less” about where the solutions come from and that “I care about what solves the problem.”

Before he gave them a pep talk about the long days ahead, how talented he thought they were and how important the work is, he reminded them that Baltimore had been on an upswing . The catastrophe could rally people around the city, and the intense attention that could help Maryland would not last long.

“We really want to be thoughtful about that,” Moore told his team.

Katie Shepherd contributed to this report.

• Senior living resident sentenced to life for ‘soulless’ killing of 2 workers February 23, 2024 Senior living resident sentenced to life for ‘soulless’ killing of 2 workers February 23, 2024
• Md. defendants could face jail as funds dry up for private home monitoring February 21, 2024 Md. defendants could face jail as funds dry up for private home monitoring February 21, 2024
• A Maryland city’s apology for lynchings rings hollow for some March 11, 2024 A Maryland city’s apology for lynchings rings hollow for some March 11, 2024