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HOW BALTIMORE’S FRANCIS SCOTT KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSE AFFECTS RELOCATION

Published: Friday, April 12, 2024
Sirva Communications

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AND KEY CONSIDERATIONS 

Note: We recognize that updates on the bridge and how it will affect transport and relocation are a fluid situation but stay tuned as we provide ongoing updates.

 

OVERALL SITUATION

Early Tuesday, March 26, around 1:40 a.m., Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after a container ship known as the Dali (Singapore-flagged) struck a support column, causing at least seven cars to plunge into the Patapsco River. 

The container ship that struck the bridge remained snarled in the span’s twisted wreckage, blocking the sole channel that connects the Port of Baltimore to the Atlantic Ocean. On the docks, trucks continued to move cargo, but vessel traffic to and from the port was suspended “until further notice,” according to the Maryland Port Authority website. 

The Port of Baltimore handled 11.7 million tons of cargo and 1.1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers last year.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SITUATION

According to a bulletin on the MDOT Maryland Port of Administration’s website:
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District continues working with local, state, and federal partners to clear the wreckage along the Fort McHenry Channel following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
  • USACE expects to open a limited access channel 280 feet wide and 35 feet deep, to the Port of Baltimore within the next four weeks – by the end of April. 
  • This channel would support one-way traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore for barge container service and some roll-on/roll-off vessels that move automobiles and farm equipment to and from the port.
  • USACE engineers are aiming to reopen the permanent, 700-foot-wide by 50-foot-deep federal navigation channel by the end of May, restoring port access to normal capacity.
 

SHIPPING DELAY STRATEGIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Sirva has run impact reports for any containers on the Dali, as well as activity in the Baltimore port. Notifications have been sent to those immediately involved and further notices will be sent as more information is received on future port activity. 
  • Anticipate delays for any shipments that were scheduled to move in or out of the Baltimore port.   
  • Alternative arrangements are being made as the Baltimore port will remain closed indefinitely. 
  • Most steamship lines are redirecting vessels to either New York or Norfolk and we have adjusted our supply chain to manage the additional drayage accordingly. 
  • Some delays may continue as the market adjusts and higher costs are anticipated due to the extended travel distance but will be mitigated whenever possible. 

 

We will continue to keep you updated on this ongoing situation. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your Sirva representative, or email us at concierge@sirva.com. 

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