The immediate impact of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday was viscerally clear: In minutes, the Baltimore Harbor went from a humming logistics hub to a chaotic search and rescue operation.
Two construction workers who had been fixing potholes on the bridge were pulled from the water, with six more missing and presumed dead.
Seeing container ships sail through the port was one of my earliest memories of global shipping.
Last year, the Port of Baltimore processed 1.1 million 20-foot containers worth of cargo, making it the ninth busiest port based on trade volume in the United States and the most important port serving our nation’s capital.
It’s also the busiest U.S. port for car shipments, with more than 800,000 vehicles moving through its waters onto its docks and across its roads and railways in 2023.
Persons:
Francis Scott Key, It’s
Organizations:
Baltimore, Orioles, Camden
Locations:
Baltimore, Maryland, Port, United States