ASCE has honored Ben Conarck, Ramsey Archibald, and Daniel Zawodny with the 2025 ASCE Excellence in Journalism Award for their outstanding coverage of questions raised by the Baltimore bridge collapse, explaining bridge conditions and fracture critical bridges using research and data.
The Baltimore Banner’s entry “Hundreds of Bridges in Maryland are ‘Fracture Critical.’ Does That Mean They’re Unsafe?” was researched, written, and published within 72 hours of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsing after being struck by a container ship. This article provides a comprehensive look at what a fracture-critical bridge is, the number of them in Maryland, and the important role they play in both transportation and the state's economy. This piece helped alleviate concerns in a community in shock over the loss of life from the bridge collapse and its impact on transportation and commerce in Baltimore and the entire United States, as the closure of the Port of Baltimore was caused by the collapse. It also addressed the changes to bridge design and construction that have occurred since the Key Bridge was built, and how these design changes have enhanced the ability of newer bridges to withstand incidents similar to the one that caused the Baltimore Bridge collapse. This article also drew on the expertise of civil and structural engineers to talk about the circumstances surrounding the bridge collapse and the path forward for the design and replacement of the bridge. The Excellence in Journalism Committee recognized the Baltimore Banner team for their ability to explain complex issues quickly, reassure the public about the safety of our infrastructure, and use data to explain the conditions of bridges in the state and how many are fracture critical.
In 1994, ASCE established the Excellence in Journalism Award to honor newspaper journalists for outstanding articles that enhance public understanding of the role and impact of civil engineering in designing solutions for clean water, transportation, the environment, and other public works projects. In 2006, the award was expanded to include journalists and producers from English-language, general-interest regional and national newspapers, radio and television stations, magazines, and electronic and Web-based news outlets.
