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Vessel traffic in and out of the port of Baltimore is suspended until further notice after a cargo ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge early this morning, causing it to collapse.
The trucks are still being processed inside the port state’s terminals, according to the Maryland Port Authority, despite the disaster cutting off a major access point that carries a southeast portion of Interstate 695 over the Patapsco River. An estimated 35,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day.
The collapse, which occurred at about 1:30 a.m., sent several vehicles into the river below and rescue crews are still working to pull people out of the water. Estimates of the number of people who fell into the water ranged from seven to as many as 20. according to local media.
Eight people were rescued and emergency responders were still searching for six more as of Tuesday morning, according to Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld.
“We’re still investigating what happened,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said at a morning news conference. “But we’re gathering details quickly. The preliminary investigation speaks of an accident. We have seen no credible evidence of a terrorist attack.”
The workers did concrete deck repair on bridge at the time of the collapse, Wiedefeld told reporters Tuesday morning.
“We know there were people on the bridge at the time of the collapse, working on the bridge, contractors for us,” Wiedefeld said.
About 45 ships were inside the port as of Tuesday morning, according to marine tracking platform My Ship Tracking. Two ships were grounded at the Port of Baltimore’s public terminals, one at Dundalk and another at South Locust Point, a port spokesman said in a text message.
I spoke with Governor Moore and Mayor Scott to offer USDOT support after the ferry strike and the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Rescue efforts are ongoing and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow the directions of local responders regarding detours and response.
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) March 26, 2024
The ship, named Dali, is owned by Grace Ocean Co. and managed from Singapore Synergy Maritime Group. The was bound for Colombo, Sri Lanka and was due to arrive on April 22, according to VesselFinder.
Tradepoint Atlantic, the owner of Amazon and other major shippers with distribution centers near the port, met Tuesday morning with its tenants to assess the impact on their operations, EVP Corporate Affairs Aaron Tomarchio said in an interview.
Tradepoint is open to providing space for roll-on-roll-off and merchandise storage as needed during the emergency, Tomarchio said. The company is in the midst of a permitting process to build a new container terminal at the port.
“No one knows how long it will take [re]build that bridge,” he said.
Vehicles over 13′ -6″ inches, in height or 96″ (8 feet) in width are prohibited from using the I-895 Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. I-95 Ft. McHenry Tunnel is Height – 14′ – 6″ Width – 11′ – 0″. #baltraffic #mdtraffic
— MDTA (@TheMDTA) March 26, 2024
Baltimore has been the busiest port in the US for cars and light trucks the last 13 years, thanks to its furthest inland location on the Chesapeake Bay and rail connections to auto industries in the Midwest. The port handled a record 847,158 cars and light trucks in 2023.
Tradepoint is ready to work with federal, state and local officials and the rest of the Port of Baltimore “to figure out how we minimize the impact on the supply chain, minimize the impact on the port industry, which is huge in our region, and figure out how we will get back on track as a region and as a port as quickly as possible,” Tormarchio said.
This story was republished by our sister publication, Supply Chain Dive. Register here.