Shipping traffic to Port of Baltimore suspended after Key Bridge collapse
In a potentially crippling blow to commerce in the region, the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore is partially shut down after the
Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed Tuesday morning when it was struck by a cargo ship.
Shipping traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore is suspended until further notice, according to a statement from the Maryland Port Administration, which oversees the Port of Baltimore. Trucks are still being processed inside the terminals, the statement said, but it’s unclear when the port will fully reopen.
The Port of Baltimore is made up of publicly and privately owned marine terminals, where thousands of Marylanders work to load and unload goods. Ships from around the world travel through the Chesapeake Bay into Baltimore’s harbor along dredged channels. Almost all of those ships pass underneath the Key Bridge on the Patapsco River to reach their destinations. The only major marine terminal accessible without going under Key Bridge is Tradepoint Atlantic, a privately owned logistics hub on Sparrows Point.
Ship collides with Francis Scott Key Bridge
The bridge was a crucial point in the Baltimore Baltway and an important port entryway.
Before shipping can resume into and out of the port, crews will need to pull debris out of the water and clear the 50-foot-deep channel that ships use, said William P. Doyle, a former director of the port who now heads the Dredging and Marine Construction Association of America.
”You’re going to have to pick out the trusses and parts of the bridge that are in the water,” Doyle said. “The channel is going to be closed. That means any of the larger vessels that are in the Inner Harbor Port of Baltimore — inside of the Key Bridge — are going to remain there until further notice. All the other ships coming up the Chesapeake Bay are going to have to go on anchorage or divert to another port.”
Doyle quickly began contacting dredging and marine companies on Tuesday, seeing what equipment is available to help clear the water.
That list includes the
Dale Pyatt, the largest crane dredge in the Western Hemisphere, which was used to help free the
Ever Forward, a container ship that ran aground and
was stuck in the bay for more than a month in 2022. The
Dale Pyatt is owned by Cashman Dredging & Marine Contracting Company and is currently anchored in Curtis Bay, Doyle said.
Millions of tons of cargo worth billions of dollars move through the port’s state-owned and private terminals every year, including vehicles, heavy farm and construction equipment, sugar, gypsum and massive containers hauling all manner of goods.
For 13 straight years, the port has led the nation in importing and exporting cars and light trucks.
The port supports about 15,300 direct jobs, according to the state, and another 140,000 jobs are linked to activity at the port. Just last month, state officials noted multiple records set in tonnage and value of cargo, which they said was a continuing rebound from pandemic-induced economic woes and supply chain issues.
The ship that struck the Key Bridge is the Dali, a Singapore cargo ship originally bound for Colombo, Sri Lank. The ship was loaded at Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore. The state-owned terminal is privately operated under a 2010 deal with Ports America. Ports America did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The port also supports a cruising industry, with Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean ferrying 444,000 passengers on trips last year.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy and collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and extend our heartfelt prayers to all those impacted,” a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said in a statement. “We are closely monitoring the situation, and our port logistics team is currently working on alternatives for
Vision of the Seas’ ongoing and upcoming sailings. Any updates will be communicated to our guests and travel partners once our plans are finalized.”
State Sen. Johnny Ray Salling, whose district includes the bridge, said he was shocked by the news.
“This is unbelievable,” he said. “More than anything, I’m praying for people and their families. I know there is going to be a loss of life, and that is devastating,” said Salling, a Republican from southeastern Baltimore County.
Salling serves on a transportation subcommittee in the General Assembly and said eventually there will need to be serious considerations about repairing and replacing the bridge — a massive and expensive task that’s difficult to fathom at the moment.
“I believe it will take a very, very long time,” he said.
Baltimore Banner reporter Royale Bonds contributed to this article.
