26 March 2024: What happened?
On this day, the cargo ship Dali, just leaving the port for Colombo, Sri Lanka, collides with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing its complete collapse.
Port of Baltimore: One of the most important in the USA
Ranked as the 11th largest port in the country, it handled more than 52 million tons of international cargo worth around 80 billion dollars in 2023.
It is classified as the most important port for the automotive industry and is also an important transport artery for the construction machinery, coal, agricultural products, sugar, coal, steel and cellulose sectors.
Where will the containers be re-routed?
It is estimated that the bridge and the port will be out of service for several months. As a result, containers originally destined for Baltimore are being re-routed to other East Coast ports – New York/New Jersey, Norfolk and Virginia – whose capacity needs to be increased. Georgia and South Carolina are other ports to consider. These alternatives are also complemented by intermodal solutions by road or rail.
What are the other impacts of the bridge fall?
Around 5,000 trucks cross the bridge every day. Even trucks transporting dangerous goods now have to take a detour of around 48 kilometers around the city of Baltimore because they are not allowed to use the city’s tunnels. This will ultimately lead to a considerable increase in lost time, fuel consumption and delays.
As your logistics partner, we will always try to find the best solution to minimize the impact of this tragic event on the transport of your cargo.
Sources:
Bloomberg. (2024). What the Baltimore Collapse Tells Us About Bridge Safety. Consultado a 27 de março de 2023, em: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-26/why-baltimore-s-francis-scott-key-bridge-collapsed
CNBC. (2024). Logistics companies scramble after bridge collapse closes Port of Baltimore until further notice. Consultado a 27 de março de 2024, em: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/26/logistics-companies-scramble-after-bridge-collapse-closes-port-of-baltimore.html
CNN. (2024). Cars, sugar and cruises: How the Port of Baltimore closure could hurt the economy. Consultado a 28 de março de 2024, em: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/business/baltimore-port-autos-cruises/index.html
The Wall Street Journal. (2024). Here’s How Baltimore Ranks Among U.S. Ports. Consultado a 28 de março de 2024, em: https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-dow-jones-03-26-2024/card/here-s-how-baltimore-ranks-among-u-s-ports-GhJBis2HpJALb28ZjzQF
The Washington Post. (2024). See how the Key Bridge collapse will disrupt the supply of cars, coal and tofu. Consultado a 28 de março de 2024, em: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/03/27/baltimore-port-economy-disruption-bridge-collapse/
