Page 8 - Port of Baltimore - Issue 3 - 2024

PORT MESSAGES
MDOT
Momentum Is Strong for Port’s Recovery
Resilience is not about bouncing back. It’s about moving forward.
And MDOT is resilient. Facing the challenge that lies ahead with rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge will not deter us from continuing the momentum! We’ve taken great strides in the last several months and will keep moving forward together to advance a successful, stronger and innovative future for Maryland and the Port of Baltimore.
Last month, I had the pleasure of joining with our federal, state and local partners in announcing the full reopening of the Port of Baltimore’s 700-foot-wide by 50-foot-deep main channel. In only 78 days, Unified Command removed more than 50,000 tons of debris from the Patapsco River, fully restoring the channel, welcoming back global shipping businesses and cruises, and getting Marylanders back to work.
More than 1,500 people from federal, state and local agencies contributed to the reopening of the main shipping channel, including 500 specialists operating dozens of pieces of equipment. Thanks to these amazing partnerships, the Port of Baltimore’s economic engine is back and stronger than ever.
During this time, we’ve also been focused on rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge. In May, the Maryland Transportation Authority hosted a virtual industry forum that attracted more than 1,700 contractors, consultants and subcontractors
from around the world. Working together with the Maryland
EXECUTIVE VIEW
Transportation Authority, we recently released a Request For Proposals inviting design-build teams to submit proposals. The goal is to work in partnership with our federal, state and local stakeholders and communities to replace the bridge as quickly and safely as possible.
The Maryland Transportation Authority is using a Progressive Design-Build process that brings a project designer and builder onboard to work side-by-side, resulting in greater efficiencies. We seek to build collaboration among the project team, local communities and stakeholders to ensure open communication and inclusive partnership opportunities, particularly for small and disadvantaged businesses. The project scope of work
and accelerated timeline will require a substantial amount of skilled labor to complete the construction expeditiously, safely and reliably.
Later this summer, we will announce the selected project team, with the goal of completing the rebuild by fall 2028. Rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge is about more than making the Baltimore region whole again. We look forward to taking this next big step in our recovery following the bridge’s collapse on March 26. In all that we do, our thoughts and prayers remain with the families, friends and coworkers of those lost on that tragic day.
Paul J. Wiedefeld, Maryland Transportation Secretary
Port Will Move Forward by Building on Assets, Investing in Infrastructure
Happy summer, everyone. Our vessel schedule is rebounding from the closure of our main federal channel for nearly three months.
Since our full 700-foot-wide, 50-foot-deep channel was reopened by the U.S. Coast Guard in early June, we have seen a steady stream of commerce return to the Port of Baltimore. Roll-on/roll-off vessels carrying high and heavy farm and construction equipment as well as new cars and light trucks, ships loaded with wood pulp and rolls of finished paper, breakbulk vessels with multi-ton power generation machinery, and container ships have all been returning to our port.
While the number of ships coming into the Port of Baltimore is approaching pre-collapse levels, our cargo volumes are still below where we were before. That will take time — particularly our imported containers from Asia, where ocean carriers wanted to wait until our channel was completely reopened to resume service to Baltimore.
Despite what we went through, the advantages we had
as a port before the incident are still there today. We are the closest East Coast port to the Midwest which keeps down inland transportation costs for shippers. We are the nation’s preeminent port for autos and farm and construction machinery. We are located
within the fourth-largest U.S. consumer market, where more than 70% of our inbound containers are delivered within 70 miles of the Port of Baltimore. We also have a supply-chain service base that is second to none. It includes our hardworking International Longshoremen’s Association labor force, our great truckers, private terminals, rail partners, pilots, tugs and freight forwarders.
Our Howard Street Tunnel Project, which will provide
our Port with long-awaited double stack rail capabilities, is scheduled to be completed in 2027 and will increase our container throughput by more than 160,000 containers annually. The project is also creating thousands of new jobs. Further, we are working with Ports America Chesapeake and CSX to expand our intermodal container transfer facility to handle more on-dock rail transactions.
Moving forward, we will move aggressively to invest in the necessary infrastructure that is needed to grow our Port and generate jobs. We cannot change what happened in the past, but we can plan and make smart decisions for our future that will benefit our Port for years to come. I look forward to working with all of you to make that happen.
Jonathan Daniels, Executive Director
[6] The Port of Baltimore ■ ISSUE 3 / 2024