The collapsed bridge in Maryland is going to be a “real disaster” for Interstate 95 along the east coast, logistics experts say.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early on Tuesday morning after it was hit by the container ship Dali, sending multiple vehicles, including a commercial truck, into the water. At least six people are still missing and are now presumed dead after the incident.
Now, all ship traffic has been suspended from the Port of Baltimore indefinitely, forcing logistics companies to figure out how to reroute their cargo.
“People right now are figuring out where are they going and what are their options,’’ said Ami Daniel, CEO of the maritime intelligence company Windward, to AP News.
“Aside from the obvious tragedy, this incident will have significant and long-lasting impacts on the region,” said American Trucking Associations spokesperson Jessica Gail, naming the Port of Baltimore as one of the “critical components” of American infrastructure.
Around 3,600 commercial trucks cross the Francis Scott Key Bridge on a typical day, and now all of them will need to find alternate routes. Additionally, trucks hauling hazardous materials will now need to make at least 30 miles of detours around the city to reach their destinations due to the banning of hazardous loads in Baltimore’s tunnel system.
“Timewise, it’s going to hurt us a lot,’’ said the terminal manager for Lee Transport in Baltimore, a company that hauls hazardous materials.
“It’s not just the port of Baltimore that’s going to be impacted,” said Ryan Petersen, CEO of supply chain management company Flexport. Petersen says the accident will affect not only ocean container shipping, but trucking all across the east coast. Petersen says that some companies will turn to trucks to get their off-course cargo where it needs to go.
“The East Coast I-95 corridor is going to be a real disaster,” he said.