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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - A cargo ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday morning.

Synergy Marine Group — which manages the ship, called the Dali — confirmed the vessel hit a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge around 1:30 a.m.

The landmark bridge was built in the 1970s. After the collapse, WSAZ began digging into what steps are in place to protect our community.

WSAZ found federal law requires states to inspect bridges at least once every two years.

Engineers said the bridges that show wear and tear may be inspected sooner but always immediately following an incident that may have caused damage.

The shipping company said the container ship that brought down the nearly 2-mile steel bridge was about 984 feet long.

The bridge is roughly the size of the Eiffel Tower lying on its side.

U.S. Coast Guard Commander William Albright said the ships that travel the inland waterways, including the towing vessels or barges that travel along the Ohio River, are smaller in comparison to what travels through Baltimore.

“Ships that transit in Baltimore are some of your larger ocean-going vessels. They can reach up to 200,000 tons,” Albright said.

Albright said they prepare with annual training each year should something happen here.

“Just last summer, we conducted a mass rescue operation which included several of the local regional hospitals and several of our county, state, and federal partners in the area....what that does is it prepares us should there be an event where this is a mass casualty response,” Albright said.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said they prioritize bridge safety.

“If a strike should occur, our engineers take an abundance of caution. We inspect every critical element of a bridge before allowing workers or traffic to return to the bridge. In developing newer bridges on navigable waterways, designers ensure piers are protected and are in locations away from navigational channels. Designers also design piers and pier protection to survive impacts from the largest vessels using those waterways,” said a spokesperson for KYTC.

West Virginia State Bridge Engineer Tracy Brown, P.E., said every one of the approximately 7,000 bridges in the state is inspected at least every two years -- and more frequently if necessary.

“Our bridge inspection program – in fact, the entire federal bridge inspection program – is based on the tragic collapse of the Silver Bridge in Point Pleasant on December 15, 1967,” Brown said. “We at the WVDOT take bridge safety extremely seriously to help guard against a tragedy of such magnitude happening again.”