7 Impacts of the Baltimore Bridge Collapse in the US

WASHINGTON – The collapse of a major bridge in Baltimore earlier this week has caused a halt in ship traffic at the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest ports in the nation. United States of America .

On Wednesday, it was reported that Maryland would receive an initial $60 million in funding from the federal government as state authorities work to clean up the debris from the disaster. This emergency relief funding is to cover “mobilization, operations and debris recovery,” the state said.

7 Impacts of the Baltimore Bridge Collapse in the US

1. Big Tragedy for the US

Photo/Reuters

According to Al Jazeera, the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, a steel bridge opened in 1977 that spans the lower reaches of the Patapsco River and the outer port of Baltimore, collapsed when a container ship hit one of its supporting pillars at around 01:27 on last Tuesday.

A car crossing the bridge fell into the river, and six workers went missing and are now presumed dead.

The Singapore-flagged ship that hit the bridge was named Dali and was heading to Sri Lanka. The entire crew of 22 people and the two pilots have been reported and there are no reports of injuries.

Since that incident, ship traffic in and out of the port has stopped. However, the port is not closed and trucks are still being processed inside the marine terminal.

2. Disrupting the US Economy

Photo/Reuters

According to Al Jazeera, the Port of Baltimore is the ninth largest US port in terms of overall trade volume. The company handles cargo including cars, machinery, agricultural equipment, liquefied natural gas, and sugar.

In 2023, the port handled approximately 50 million tons and $80 billion of cargo moving between the US and other countries.

The port processed 847,158 cars last year, according to figures from the state of Maryland. About 70 percent of them are imported.

3. Shaking up US Coal Exports

Photo/Reuters