Port of Baltimore suspends vessel traffic following bridge collapse

The Port of Baltimore has suspended all vessel traffic following the collapse of a section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge due to a collision with a container ship.

PHOTO: Port of Baltimore. Getty Image

The bridge collapse occurred when the 116,851-dwt container vessel Dali struck a bridge pillar while it was en route from the US East Coast port of Baltimore to Sri Lanka’s Colombo. As a result, authorities have suspended bunker deliveries at the port and Annapolis Anchorages.

Once traffic resumes, bunker deliveries in the port area will be available again since bunker barges do not need to cross the collapse site, a source says. However, deliveries to Annapolis anchorages remain on hold until southbound traffic is allowed to move past the collapse site, with no definitive timeline for resumption currently available.

Alternative locations, such as Norfolk or Marcus Hook in Philadelphia, are being considered for bunker deliveries because of the temporary closure of the Port of Baltimore.

At present, there are 13 vessels awaiting Annapolis anchorages, a source says.

By Debarati Bhattacharjee

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