The Francis Scott Key Bridge that spans the Patapsco River collapsed overnight after being struck by a containership operated by Maersk Line. The collapse occurred after the container ship “Dali” lost power early Tuesday and crashed into the bridge, sending people and vehicles into the frigid Patapsco River.
Tragically there were cars and workers on the bridge at the time of the accident. Rescuers are working diligently to find anyone that is in the water.
Right now, State and Federal officials are focused on search and rescue. At this time, The Port of Baltimore is closed to marine traffic. The shipping channel is completely blocked. The marine terminals are currently open on the land side and trucks are being processed in and out of the terminal.
We are monitoring the situation closely. Shipments on the water will be diverted by the steamship lines. We anticipate that New York, Philadelphia, and Norfolk will be the ports where most Baltimore destined container cargo will go. The ocean carriers will make the final decision on where they will discharge Baltimore destined containers.
All export shipments will be rerouted to other ports.