Around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed when a cargo ship crashed into it. Officials stopped traffic from going onto the bridge but still had workers on it. The bridge collapse has paralyzed the port of Baltimore and will have substantial economic impacts.
The Singaporean-registered ship Dali, which is almost 1000 feet in length, was on its way to Colombo, Sri Lanka, but it encountered propulsion issues that caused complete power loss. This caused the ship to drift and eventually collide with the bridge.
The Dali reported that it lost power to officials, which prompted authorities to shut down traffic. There were 90 seconds between the bridge closure and the bridge collapsing
The Dali had a history of minor incidents before Tuesday’s collision. In 2016, the Dali collided with a wall in the port of Antwerp, Belgium. Last year, there were also issues with the propulsion system, but it still passed inspections, according to CNBC.
According to officials, eight construction workers plunged into the ice-cold Patapsco River. Two workers were rescued, two more were recovered as deceased, and the remaining four workers are presumed to be dead. Rescue divers called off the search after the debris made it challenging to find the rest of the victims.
The six men who worked for Brawner Builders were from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
President Biden said in a statement that federal resources will be used to help rebuild the bridge, which is used by almost 30,000 Marylanders each day.
The loss of the Key Bridge has commuters scrambling to find a new way around I-695, which is a part of Baltimore’s beltway system. Traffic in the region is predicted to worsen. The alternate routes at this moment are I-95 and I-895, which take you through the tunnels under the harbor.
This will also lead to issues with tractor-trailers, as many trucks won’t be able to enter the tunnels because they do not allow hazardous materials to move through them. As a result, the trucks will have to take I-695 around the western part of Baltimore.
Another issue for the city of Baltimore and the state of Maryland is that the port has been shut down. The port of Baltimore is one of the busiest in the nation, and the economic impact will be felt as the port is at a standstill.
The port of Baltimore is one of the biggest Roll-on/Roll-off ports, and this could have huge impacts on the auto industry and lead to an increase in prices.
According to the Baltimore Business Journal, the state of Maryland could lose up to $15 million a day in revenue. The city of Baltimore will be feeling the effects of this incident for years, but government officials are trying all they can to craft bills to help the port workers.
