The Impact of Bridge Collapse on Baltimore’s Transportation System, the American Trucking Associations, and the Industrial Side of the Johnstown-Baltimore Bridge
William Washington, who works at a plant that makes cement board right on the southern end of the bridge, said his work depended on a constant delivery of supplies. It is not clear what the scale of the disruption to the plant will be, but it will not be business as usual for some time.
As the shock of the Key Bridge collapse settled over Baltimore, the new traffic realities came not far behind. The Key, a four-lane-bridge that collapsed after being hit by a container ship, was not the most heavily trafficked route across the Baltimore Harbor, but without the crossing, about 34,000 cars and trucks now have to find alternative routes.
Sean McNally was a spokesman for the American Trucking Associations and said in an email that 4,900 trucks travel each day to cross the bridge.
The importance of the Port of Baltimore is going to be greater in the future, he says. I think the growth is inevitable despite this short-term disruption.
Disruption at the port will have consequences, experts say, and that can often lead to ripple effects. It is hard to project an economic toll yet because we don’t know how long the port will be closed.
The Baltimore Port Bridge: Implications of a Disaster for American Industry and the Port-of-Ship Connection in the Mid-Area
The professor at the Carey Business School is aware of the bridge. He can see it from his office.
He says that it’s an important bridge. It’s part of an busy highway, I-695, and has symbolic resonance too. He thinks the economic impact of the disaster will be relatively short-term.
Some of the cars got lucky. Volkswagen and BMW both use a terminal by the entrance to Baltimore’s harbor, which is not blocked off, and are not likely to be affected by this morning’s traffic problems for trucks.
It is not just about getting a car out of a ship. Installation of accessories and inspecting vehicles can be done by facilities at ports. You need trucks and drivers in place to get them from the port to the dealerships.
Dai, of Johns Hopkins, anticipates the shutdown will create delays for auto imports and exports as companies work to find alternatives to the widely used Baltimore port.
Still, the timing isn’t good. There have been problems with the Panama Canal and the Red Sea. A disaster that shuts down an American port — so abruptly that six cargo ships are now trapped there — only adds to the disruptions.
Chris Rogers, the head of supply chain research at S&P Global Market Intelligence, notes that Baltimore’s port handled around 3% of imports along the east and Gulf coast.
“Both bridge reconstruction and cargo delays are likely to be extensive,” he wrote in a research note. freight across container and bulk modes could be routed to ports in Delaware and Pennsylvania.
“We’re gonna get it up and running again as soon as possible,” Biden said. “Fifteen-thousand jobs depend on that port, and we’re gonna do everything we can to protect those jobs and help those workers.”
The port has seen big investments in order to be able to handle larger ships and more containers, as well as cut its carbon emissions.
A total of 40 ships, including 34 cargo vessels, have Baltimore listed as a destination, and 10 commercial ships with anchor dropped nearby, according to MarineTraffic.
Coal, coffee, and sugar are some of the large volumes transported through the city’s port. It was the ninth largest port in the nation for receiving foreign cargo in terms of volume and value.
The Baltimore-Port-of-Salt Bridge Collapse Report: What we know and don’t know about Baltimore’s Key bridge collapse
The collapse of the bridge will affect cruises in and out of Baltimore. Norwegian Cruise Line last year began a new fall and winter schedule calling at the Port of Baltimore.
Eight people fell into the river after being involved in a collision while working on the bridge. One person was in critical condition and another refused medical treatment, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said.
Six people are still missing. The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search and rescue efforts late Tuesday night and said the six people are presumed to be dead, given the amount of time that had passed since the collapse and the temperature of the water. Recovery efforts will resume on Wednesday morning.
The ship, named the Dali and measuring nearly 1,000 feet, lost power as it began moving toward the bridge at about 8 knots, or 9.2 miles per hour. Those onboard issued a mayday, which gave authorities time to stop the flow of traffic on the bridge.
The ship has had 27 previous inspections. The ship was damaged in 2016 after hitting a dock while leaving a port in Belgium. Last year, the ship was found to have a problem with “propulsion and auxiliary machinery,” according to Equasis, a maritime safety site.
Authorities have not yet given information about the captain and how the ship ended up moving toward the bridge. The FBI is investigating with the National Transportation Safety Board.
Source: What we know and don’t know about Baltimore’s Key bridge collapse
Baltimore’s Key Bridge was built in the 1970s, but had a deep and patriotic history, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority’s website
The economic impact isn’t known. About $80 billion worth of cargo goes through the Port of Baltimore each year, including about 850,000 cars and trucks. The port provides 15,000 jobs and 3.3 billion dollars in personal income, 2.6 billion dollars in business revenue and $400 million in tax revenue according to the state.
The public was able to see the structure on March 23, 1977. According to the Maryland transportation authority’s website, it goes much deeper than that.
It is believed to be at the same spot as where Francis Scott Key witnessed the failed British attack on Fort McHenry in 1814.
The British abandoned their land assault on Baltimore after the bombardment in the War of 1812. The peace agreement between the sides was reached later that year.
British warships fired thousands of exploding mortar shells, cannonballs and rockets at the fort for more than 25 hours, but inflicted only minor damage because it was so heavily fortified. The Americans raised their flag the next day.
He became inspired to write the anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” because of the awe that he felt at the flag being raised.
Just southeast of the bridge are the ruins of Fort Carroll, a 3.4-acre, hexagonal island created in 1848 under the supervision of then-Brevet-Colonel Robert E. Lee to house a fort aimed at protecting Baltimore from naval attacks (since Fort McHenry was the only other military defensive structure between Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay up until that point).
The fort was constructed and never finished but it was home to a blacksmith shop, a carpentry shop and 350 cannon ports.
Source: Baltimore’s Key Bridge was built in the ’70s, but has a deep and patriotic history
Baltimore’s Key Bridge was built in the ’70s, but has a deep and patriotic history, according to Atlas Obscura
Torrential rains flooded the island in 1864 and rendered it vulnerable, and it was used in the decades that followed to store mines, hold seamen and as a pistol range.
The island was bought by a Baltimore lawyer in the late 1950s, but he never brought it to be developed. According to Atlas Obscura, the island is overgrown and has become a bird sanctuary.
The bridge is the outermost of three toll crossings of Baltimore’s Harbor, and the only one that’s not a tunnel. Vehicles carrying hazardous materials can’t enter the tunnels so it was constructed to provide a route for them.
The project cost an estimated $110 million and took five years to complete. The Baltimore Beltway, also known as the bridge, opened in 1977 and became the final link in the interstate.
A vessel sailing at 12 knots “lost all propulsion and control about 600 yards” from the bridge and drifted into the main pier at a speed of about 6 knots, the council said. A protective concrete structure was destroyed.
Source: Baltimore’s Key Bridge was built in the ’70s, but has a deep and patriotic history
The Baltimore Bridge is Closed, and the Sixths are Going to Be With Us Until the State Bridge is Open (Boundary Conditions are Open)
The search for the six people who fell into the water after the bridge collapsed was the main focus on Tuesday. They said that they would discuss how to rebuild later.
President Biden said in remarks that he wants the federal government to fund the reconstruction of the bridge, which would require support from Congress.
“It’s going to take a while,” he said. The people of Baltimore know we will be with them until the bridge is reopened and the port is open again.