Commercial shipping traffic is set to return to normal levels at the Port of Baltimore next month, officials announced on Wednesday. This comes after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in March, causing the channel to be fully reopened for the first time this week.
At a news conference by the water, Governor Wes Moore excitedly declared, “Maryland, the Fort McHenry Channel is fully cleared, and the Port of Baltimore is reopened for business.” The sound of a passing ship’s horn added to the celebratory atmosphere, with Moore remarking, “That’s a beautiful sound.”
Giant cranes could be seen in the background, lifting shipping containers off a docked cargo ship and placing them on land. Many shipping companies had rerouted their cargo to other ports following the bridge collapse, but now with the channel back to its original state, officials anticipate a return to normalcy by mid-July.
While the cleanup operation cost an estimated $160 million, involving federal, state, and local agencies, the reopening of the channel is a crucial step in revitalizing the port’s operations. Undoubtedly, many companies that diverted their traffic during the cleanup period will return to Baltimore now that things are back on track.
Efforts to keep workers employed and businesses afloat during the aftermath of the collapse were acknowledged, as thousands of jobs were affected by the incident. Individuals such as Scott Cowan, president of the International Longshoreman’s Association Local 333, emphasized the importance of reopening the channel to maintain employment for workers in the industry.
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Salvage operations for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are estimated to cost up to $75 million, with additional costs incurred by the Coast Guard and Maryland authorities. Rebuilding the bridge may have a price tag of nearly $2 billion, with President Joe Biden committing federal support for the project.
The vessel that caused the bridge collapse, the Dali, has been moved from the crash site, allowing for the opening of a wider channel for commercial vessels. Investigations into the incident are ongoing, with plans to enhance safety measures in the reopened channel.
