Virginia is now feeling the effects of the cargo ship crash that resulted in the closure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. This incident has disrupted a crucial shipping lane that leads to one of the busiest ports on the eastern seaboard.
Thursday saw Gov. Glenn Youngkin swiftly extend a helping hand to Maryland as he offered assistance. In a matter of hours, Virginia’s ports were already gearing up to accommodate the redirected shipping traffic from neighboring Maryland.
In 2023, the Port of Baltimore took charge of almost 850,000 cars and light trucks, making it the top performer in the United States. Furthermore, it holds the second position nationwide for coal exports and sixth for coffee imports. When it comes to roll-on/roll-off cargo, the port excels, leading the nation in this area. However, due to accessibility challenges in some of its ports, a few ships have been redirected to other eastern ports.
Within hours of the accident, Joe Harris, senior director of media relations for the Port of Virginia, informed The Center Square that one of the terminals at the Virginia International Gateway successfully handled a rerouted container ship. He mentioned that they expect the volume of these diverted shipments to grow in the coming days.
According to Harris, the increased cargo traffic is not expected to cause any delays at the port. He reassures that there is ample space to accommodate the additional loads. However, he does acknowledge that there is still uncertainty regarding the number of ships they can anticipate.
According to Harris, there is sufficient capacity in terms of container yards and berth space for container vessels. The uncertainty lies in the number of additional vessel calls and corresponding cargo volumes that can be expected at the Port of Baltimore. The primary reason behind this uncertainty is the unknown duration of the port closure to vessel traffic.
Harris is confident that the Port of Virginia will be able to keep up with the increased volume of cargo traffic, including manpower.
According to Harris, the port is confident in its ability to uphold its service levels despite any challenges. He emphasizes that the port is well-equipped to handle fluctuations in import and export cargo, thanks to its extensive experience in the industry. Harris also assures that the size of their workforce will not be a hindrance.
The Port of Baltimore is a thriving cargo port and serves as a host to two prominent cruise lines, Carnival and Royal Caribbean. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, one of Carnival’s cruise ships, which was originally set to return to Baltimore on Sunday, will now be redirected to Norfolk.
According to a statement released by the cruise line, Carnival Legend’s operations in Baltimore will be temporarily moved to Norfolk, Virginia as rescue and remediation efforts continue in Baltimore Harbor following the collapse of the Key Bridge.
Guests will be provided with bus service back to Baltimore, and the next week’s scheduled cruise will operate from and return to Norfolk, according to the officials.
I reached out to Royal Caribbean to inquire about future cruises departing from the Port of Baltimore. However, as of now, I have not received a response from them.
The impact of the additional truck and train traffic on the already busy and congested I-95 corridor, one of the busiest in the nation, remains uncertain.