Divers continue searching for the bodies of six workers who were on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Tuesday, March 26, when it was struck by a massive container ship causing the bridge that carries Interstate 695 over the Patapsco River to collapse.
Here are the latest developments:
- While the Port of Baltimore is closed to both inbound and outbound ship traffic, officials said it is still processing truck traffic for cargo already in the port.
- Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said there is no specific timeline yet as to when ships may enter and exit the port. He also called for a through investigation into the cause of the collapse.
- Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, “The impact of this incident is going to be felt throughout the region and really throughout our supply chains. We’re talking about the biggest vehicle-handling port in the country that is now out of commission until that channel can be cleared — and a bridge that took five years to build.”
- President Joe Biden said the federal government will foot the bill to rebuild the bridge, which carries some 11 million vehicles a year.
- National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said investigators boarded the Singaporian-flagged, 948-foot-long containership the Dali and retrieved its voyage data recorded and other evidence. The NTSB team has also been interviewing the 22-member crew and the two barbor pilots who were on the ship at the time of the collision. There is a media briefing set for 8 p.m.
- Authorities report the crew of the Dali issued a mayday distress warning when the ship lost power, allowing traffic to be diverted from the bridge.
- Analysts say the collapse of the bridge and its long-term absence could cause shipping rates to rise. The detour around the collapse will add time and miles to trucks carrying freight.
- It’s expected that ships waiting to enter Baltimore Harbor or those scheduled to will be diverted to other East Coast ports.
- Any closure of the port will have an economic impact on many of its 15,000 workers, and 14,000 others who indirectly rely on the port, according to Maryland Gov. Moore.
The Maryland Transportation Department State Highway Administration said:
The outer loop I-695 closure has shifted to exit 1/Quarantine Road (past the Curtis Creek Drawbridge) to allow for enhanced local traffic access.
The inner loop of I-695 remains closed at MD 157 (Peninsula Expressway). Additionally, the ramp from MD 157 to the inner loop of I-695 will be closed.
Traffic that would normally have crossed the Francis Scott Key Bridge will not have to use either the I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel or I-895 Baltimore Harbor Tunnel.
However, both tunnels have size restrictions, which will limit many tractor-trailers. The I-895 Baltimore Harbortunnel prohibits vehicles more than 162 inches tall and 96 inches wide. The I-195 Fort McHenry Tunnel prohibits vehicles over 174 inches tall and 132 inches wide.
Commercial vehicles carrying materials are prohibited in both tunnel crossings, so they should plan on using I-695 (Baltimore Beltway) between Essex and Glen Burnie.
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