Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse: Fast facts about the Port of Baltimore
The Port of Baltimore is over 300 years old
The Francis Scott Key Bridge crumbled into the Baltimore harbor early Tuesday morning.
The Port of Baltimore on Tuesday began adjusting its operations after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River.
The bridge that feeds into the Port of Baltimore fell after a large container ship struck a support column early Tuesday morning. A search and rescue operation is currently underway.
"We want to express our deepest thoughts to the individuals and families involved in this morning’s tragic incident," the Port of Baltimore said in a Tuesday morning statement on social media.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore also issued a state of emergency declaration in response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge incident.
The Dali container vessel after striking the Francis Scott Key Bridge that collapsed into the Patapsco River in Baltimore on March 26, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via / Getty Images)
MARYLAND: SHIP HITS FRANCIS SCOTT KEY BRIDGE, CAUSING IT TO COLLAPSE
Port operator
The Maryland Port Administration is tasked with overseeing the Port of Baltimore. It contains five public and 12 private terminals.
A Maersk Line cargo ship loaded with containers at the Port of Baltimore on Nov. 10, 2021. (Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via / Getty Images)
Ship traffic
The Port of Baltimore sees nearly 1,800 visits from over 50 ocean carriers each year, according to the Maryland State Archives.
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Busy port
In 2023, a record-setting 52.3 million tons of foreign cargo came through the port. That helped it earn the No. 9 ranking among major U.S. ports in that category, according to the Maryland governor’s office.
Leader in handling certain cargo
No other U.S. port handled as much volume of "autos and light trucks, roll on/off heavy farm and construction machinery, imported sugar, and imported gypsum" as the Port of Baltimore last year, per the governor’s office. For cars and light trucks, it has ranked No. 1 for 13 straight years.
Cargo vessels sit berthed at the Port of Baltimore container terminal as seen from Consol Energy Inc.'s CNX Marine Terminals Inc. coal transshipment marine terminal on Sept. 22, 2015. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via / Getty Images)
Major economic driver for the state
The port provides a major source of economic activity in Maryland, driving over $2.6 billion in business income, the Maryland State Archives reported. It also creates nearly $400 million in tax revenue.
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Jobs
Baltimore’s port has led to roughly 15,300 direct jobs. More broadly, its activities have helped provide jobs for nearly 140,000 people, according to the governor’s office.
The state of Maryland attributes nearly $3.3 billion in total personal income to the port.
Over three centuries old
The port has existed for over 300 years. It facilitated trade with England in its earliest days and later expanded to other parts of the world, per the Maryland State Archives.