Following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday morning, companies are racing to divert shipping and trucking from the port, one of the busiest on America’s East Coast, where all ship traffic has been suspended indefinitely.
The bridge collapsed within seconds after a container ship that had just left the port hit a support pillar. Although the vessel was the only one in port at the time, seven other ships had been scheduled to arrive through Saturday. The logistics required to divert ships and their cargo to other ports could lead to congestion and delays, according to Judah Levine of global freight booking platform Freightos.
“Aside from the obvious tragedy, this incident will have significant and long-lasting impacts on the region,” American Trucking Associations spokesperson Jessica Gail said, who also noted that Baltimore’s port, along with the bridge itself, are “critical components of America’s infrastructure.
Approximately 3,600 trucks cross the Key Bridge each day, Gail added, and those carrying hazardous material will now have to follow 30 miles of detours around the city because they are not allowed to travel through the city’s tunnels.
“Everybody is trying to figure out the impact of the supply chain” because of the bridge’s collapse, said Jonathan Gold, vice president of supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation. He also said that it was too early to determine how long shipments could be delayed.
