Port blocked by Baltimore bridge collapse is key hub for US shipping

Baltimore, USA: Baltimore s Francis Scott Key Bridge, named after the poet who penned the lyrics to the US national anthem, used to carry an average o...

Baltimore, USA: Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, named after the poet who penned the lyrics to the US national anthem, used to carry an average of around 31,000 passengers a day across one of the busiest harbors in the United States.

Its nighttime collapse, within seconds of being struck by a container ship, is likely to cause substantial economic damage for as long as it continues to block shipping in the Port of Baltimore.

The bridge's dramatic destruction shut the port for all maritime traffic, which last year accounted for more than 52 million tons of foreign cargo, worth some $80 billion, according to a recent statement from Maryland Governor Wes Moore's office.

Baltimore is the deepest harbor in Maryland's Chesapeake Bay, and handles the highest volume of autos and light trucks in the United States, as well as the largest quantities of imported sugar and gypsum.

The Port of Baltimore is the ninth-busiest major US port in terms of both foreign cargo handled and foreign cargo value, and is directly responsible for more than 15,000 jobs, supporting almost 140,000 more.