Key Bridge Collapse Closes Port of Baltimore to Ships, Forces Truck and Hazmat Detours

Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early on March 26, 2024, after the container ship Dali struck it at about 1:30 a.m. Eastern time. The Singapore-flagged vessel, carrying about 4,900 containers and bound for Sri Lanka, was under pilotage when it hit the bridge, FreightWaves reported.

Six construction workers on the 1.6-mile bridge were presumed dead, according to reports cited by Trucking Dive. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency and sought federal aid, and President Joe Biden pledged federal funds to rebuild the bridge.

The port

The Port of Baltimore was closed to vessel traffic, although truck operations at the marine terminals continued. Baltimore is the busiest U.S. port for autos and light trucks, and it directly employs more than 15,000 workers, with nearly 140,000 more jobs tied to it indirectly, Trucking Dive reported.

"Unless the waterway is cleared, and deliveries are able to be made to the port, we're going to have a massive diversion of ships to other ports," Louis Campion, president of the Maryland Motor Truck Association, told Trucking Dive. Campion said local port-dependent truckers would be hit harder than large fleets with freight elsewhere.

Owner-operator Pamela Miller put it plainly: "That channel is the lifeline to the supply chain."

Judah Levine, head of research at Freightos, told FreightWaves that exports would likely move by truck or rail to Philadelphia, Norfolk or New York-New Jersey. "Exporters choosing these options could face increased trucking and rail rates if enough volumes are shifted to other ports," he said. Baltimore's quarterly container volume is about 13% of the Port of New York and New Jersey's, FreightWaves noted.

Detours and hazmat

The bridge was part of Interstate 695 on the east side of the city. Alternate routes around the harbor were the Interstate 895 and Interstate 95 tunnels or I-695 around the western side of the city, FreightWaves reported.

Hazmat loads, however, are barred from both tunnels and had to use the western stretch of I-695. Oversize loads also faced limits: the I-895 tunnel has a 13-foot-6-inch height limit and 8-foot width limit, while the Fort McHenry Tunnel on I-95 allows 14 feet 6 inches in height and 11 feet in width.

Campion told WMAR that 1.3 million to 1.5 million trucks crossed the bridge each year. "We've taken one of the most vital routes away through this tragedy. That is certainly going to impact local traffic in a meaningful way," he said. For carriers on the eastern side of the harbor, he said, "it will add significant mileage for you."

"There's going to be congestion everywhere as a result of this on all the major arteries through and around Baltimore," Campion told Trucking Dive.

FMCSA set up a page with information for carriers and drivers affected by the collapse.

What it means for drivers and fleets

For hazmat haulers, the March 26, 2024, collapse removed the only interstate crossing of the harbor that did not run through a tunnel, leaving the longer western loop of I-695 as the legal route. Drivers on the eastern side of Baltimore faced added miles and hours on every trip that once used the bridge.

Drayage truckers serving the port's terminals faced the biggest uncertainty, since their work depended on ships calling at Baltimore. Fleets hauling import and export freight had to plan for cargo shifting to other East Coast ports, with new lanes, different terminals and possible rate changes along the way.