Editor's note: This article has been updated.
The Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed in the early morning hours of March 26, sending vehicles and a road crew into the Patapsco River below. Video recorded the container ship Dali hitting a bridge pier (below), causing a cascading collapse of the bridge's spans.
Endeavor Business Media, the parent company of Construction Equipment, has several publications covering various aspects of the disaster. We've aggregated ongoing coverage below, including new information on the aftermath of the collapse.
Imports of construction equipment and parts are being affected by the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The extent of those delays depends on how quickly the Patapsco River can be opened for all commercial traffic.
On Tuesday, April 2, a second channel was opened as removal of the bridge continues. This cleared the way for the first commercial traffic movements through the area, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, and “is a significant milestone in our response efforts,” said U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Baxter Smoak, operations section chief of the Key Bridge Response 2024. “Our number one priority remains the opening of the deep draft channel. We are simultaneously focused on opening additional routes of increased capacity as we move forward.”
In 2023, the Port of Baltimore handled a record 1.3 million tons of imported roll-on/roll-off cargo (Ro/Ro), which included construction equipment. Machines are driven on and off cargo vessels a piece at a time. Baltimore is the top U.S. port for Ro/Ro cargo, according to the Maryland Port Authority.
Baltimore is ranked third for imports and exports of construction equipment, according to an analysis by Alexander Jones, Interact Analysis, citing U.S. Census figures. He said imports outpace exports on the equipment side fivefold.
According to the Port Authority, its proximity to Midwest construction equipment manufacturers has helped it become the leading U.S. port for importing excavators and backhoes. It has nearly 200 acres of pavement at Dundalk Marine Terminal where it can handle more Ro/Ro equipment than competing ports, according to the Port Authority.
What construction equipment shipments are affected?
Port Baltimore is the closest East Coast port to the Midwest, home of several equipment manufacturers. In addition to whole goods, manufacturers import parts. Delivery times will lengthen as manufacturers seek other points of entry. Jones says that even as different ports pick up the slack, manufacturers will need to find temporary storage space and change on-road transportation routes.
Delays will also depend on equipment type, Jones said. Equipment manufactured in the United States, for example, should not be in short supply. The costs associated with the adjustments that manufacturers need to make to handle the chokepoint in Baltimore will likely result in short-term price increases for specific models of machine, Jones said.
Construction Equipment asked several manufacturers how the Port closure is affecting their ability to import machines and parts. Not all have responded.
- Komatsu: The closure is impacting operations on both the export and import sides. “The company is working diligently to route products and parts to other ports to prevent delays from our customers,” said a spokesperson.
- Kubota: The Wall Street Journal reported (link requires registration) that Kubota is redirecting shipments to the Port of Virginia and trucking to Baltimore, increasing its trucking costs. "Our number one concern is protecting the dealer and the customer from any kind of shipping disruption," he said.
- Volvo Construction Equipment: The impact is minimal, said a spokesperson. “Few” machines are stuck in port, but nothing significant.
- Bobcat: The closure has not had any major impacts to imports or exports, said a spokesperson, but its Logistics team is working closely with shipping partners to monitor future impacts.
- Wacker Neuson: The collapse has only had a minor impact, as only larger models go through Baltimore, said a spokesperson. "Our ocean freight forwarders are very proactive in situations like these and have diverted future shipments to other locations."
- John Deere: No comment.
- Caterpillar: No comment.
- Case Construction Equipment: CNH Industrial is actively monitoring the situation, according to a spokesperson, but "we do not expect it to have any material impact on our ability to serve our customers."
Key Bridge Coverage
DOT provides update on Baltimore bridge collapse recovery: Cleanup remains on schedule, from Fleet Owner.
Recovery Action Plan from Key Bridge Collapse Announced: Plan includes subsidies to port workers and affected businesses, from Roads & Bridges.
Baltimore bridge collapse: New information, resources for CMV drivers: FMCSA provides route and traffic updates, from Fleet Owner.
The Baltimore Bridge Disaster, Two Weeks On: What You Need to Know: The new reality of the logistics landscape, from Industry Week.
Last-Mile Carriers Impacted by Baltimore Bridge Collapse: Potential cost increases coming, from Material Handling & Logistics.
How Maryland fleets are faring after the Baltimore bridge collapse: Truck traffic to and from the Port struggles with congestion and long detours, from Fleet Owner.
Crews Work to Open Port Baltimore: No timeline for reopening the channel or rebuilding the bridge, from Roads & Bridges.
Supply Chain Implications of Baltimore Bridge Collapse: The Port of Baltimore is the ninth biggest port for international cargo in the U.S., from Material Handling & Logistics.
After Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse–What are Safety Implications?: ARTBA notes that about one in three bridges need replacement, from EHS Today.
Infrastructure Insider Interview: Baltimore Bridge Collapse with Charlie Carter: President of the American Institute of Steel Construction discusses how to rebuild the bridge, from Roads & Bridges.
Baltimore Bridge Collapse Raises Concerns for Chemical Industry Supply Chain: The largest categories of chemicals moving through Baltimore include plastics, from Chemical Processing.
Timeline of Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse: A minute-by-minute account of the collapse, from Firehouse.
Divers Find Two Bodies in Truck Amid Tangled MD Bridge Debris: The remaining victims will be extricated via salvage operation, from Firehouse.
NTSB Investigating Key Bridge Collapse: Structure was "fully up to code," from Roads & Bridges.
Key Bridge Collapse Leads to Long Commutes in Baltimore: I695 is a major artery, from Roads & Bridges.
Rescue Operation Turns to Recovery at Baltimore Bridge Collapse: Two of eight workers survived, from Firehouse.
Recovery Efforts are Underway for Victims of the Key Bridge Collapse: 6 construction workers presumed dead, from Roads & Bridges.
Eight MDOT Contractors Missing: Brawner Builders’ crew was doing concrete repair on the bridge, reports Road & Bridges.
Port Blocked by Baltimore Bridge Collapse is Key Hub for US Shipping: The Port of Baltimore's vehicles terminals moved over 750,000 vehicles in 2022, from Industry Week.
How the Baltimore bridge collapse impacts trucking: Trucking operations are forced to navigate travel restrictions around a major East Coast traffic area, from Fleet Owner.
Video: Cargo Ship Collapses Baltimore Bridge, Sending 7 Cars into Water: The Maryland Transportation Authority Police dispatch and response to the Key Bridge Collapse, from Officer (listen below).
Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Collapses after Ship Strike; Six Missing: Divers joined the rescue after daybreak, from Firehouse.
Maryland DOT Addresses Key Bridge Collapse: Detours and alternate routes in the wake of the collapse, from Roads & Bridges.
Baltimore Key Bridge collapses into river overnight: Facts on the collapse, from Fleet Owner.
Baltimore Bridge Collapses After Being Hit by Ship: Ongoing coverage from Roads & Bridges.
At left, audio of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police dispatch and response to the Key Bridge Collapse, from Officer (see below).
About the Author
Rod Sutton
Sutton has served as the editorial lead of Construction Equipment magazine and ConstructionEquipment.com since 2001.
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