Supply chain expert Vindiya Vakir gives a ‘bottom line’ look at how the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge could impact transportation and trade.
collapse of Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore The Port of Baltimore will be closed indefinitely Tuesday after a container ship sailing through the strait lost power and hit one of the bridge’s support piles, impacting supply chains on the East Coast and beyond.
Just after 1 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Container ship MV Dali The ship, 948 feet long and loaded with containers, lost power as it approached the channel beneath the bridge. The ship’s crew and port pilot sent a mayday call, and authorities were able to halt traffic across the bridge.
After deploying its anchor and attempting an emergency stop, the container ship collided with a bridge pylon, sending most of its 2.6-mile length into the Patapsco River waters. There were construction workers on the bridge at the time of the accident, and authorities said eight people fell into the river, two of whom were rescued and six were reported missing. The Coast Guard announced Tuesday night that it was transitioning from a search and rescue operation to a recovery operation.
The state of Maryland and the federal Department of Transportation announced the closure of shipping lanes to the Port of Baltimore until further notice while investigation, recovery and cleanup efforts proceed.
Former commercial captain warns there is ‘no way to control’ cargo ship due to mechanical error
The Port of Baltimore was closed due to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. It’s unclear when the delivery hub will reopen. (Jasper Colt/USA Today/IMAGN)
Jean-Paul Rodrigue, a professor at the Texas A&M University Galveston School of Maritime Management, told FOX Business that companies handling cargo bound for Baltimore are working to reroute it to other ports with capacity. Ta.
“The first candidate is new york“In that case, it would be Hampton Roads, Virginia and Philadelphia. But they also have lower capacity, so Philadelphia is a little more difficult. But New York and Hampton Roads have this much traffic. ,” Rodrig said.
He added that given Baltimore’s role as a major port for motor vehicle transportation, it would be fine for those ports to handle traffic from “RO/RO” ships that can accommodate motor vehicles in and out.
Photo: Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse in Maryland
Aerial view of the cargo ship Dali, which collapsed after colliding with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26, 2024. (Photo credit: Tasos Katapodis/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The Port of Baltimore handles more motor vehicle cargo than any other U.S. port, with 750,000 vehicles passing through the port in 2022, according to port data. Ford and General Motors The companies said they were working to reroute car shipments scheduled for Baltimore and said the impact would be minimal.
The port also serves as a hub for other goods, including coal, and in 2023 was the second busiest port for coal exports. It is also the largest port for exports of agricultural machinery, construction machinery, sugar and salt. The indefinite closure could create bottlenecks in the supply chain, resulting in delays and higher costs for certain goods on the East Coast.
Congress will consider emergency spending measure to replace Baltimore bridge after collapse
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, a large bridge spanning the Patapsco River in Baltimore, collapsed after colliding with a large cargo ship, prompting a massive emergency response in Maryland on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. (Jasper Colt/USA Today/IMAGN)
In February, the Maryland Governor’s Office announced that the Port of Baltimore’s public and private terminals handled a record 52.3 million tons of foreign cargo in 2023, valued at $80 billion. amount of cargo. This figure includes approximately 1.3 million tonnes of RO/RO farm and construction equipment and 11.7 million tonnes of general cargo. It also handled 1.1 million 21-foot equivalent unit containers.
Residents in the Baltimore area will also face increased traffic congestion due to the bridge being out of service. Francis Scott Key Bridge, named after the author of the U.S. national anthem, is an important thoroughfare with average traffic. Traffic volume The I-695 freeway sees 31,000 cars per day, or 11.3 million cars per year.
CLICK HERE TO GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO
Rodrigue said the process of clearing the channel for shipping traffic to return the Port of Baltimore to normal operations could be a much quicker process measured in weeks or months than rebuilding a bridge. said that it was high.
“Rebuilding the bridge will take at least five years. Removing debris from the access channel may take more than two weeks,” Rodrigue said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
