Crane removal from Port of Baltimore to stall bridge traffic

Three original Post Panamax-style container cranes that have been at the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore’s Seagirt Marine Terminal since it opened in 1990 will be shipped out Thursday, which will temporarily stall traffic on the Francis Scott Key and Chesapeake Bay bridges.

Traffic on the Key Bridge (Interstate 695) will be held at about 9:30 a.m. in both directions and on the Bay Bridge (US Route 50/301) at about 1:30 p.m. as marine vessels carry the cranes under the bridges outbound via the Chesapeake Bay. Both traffic holds will last approximately 15 to 30 minutes, though times and durations are approximate and the transport is weather dependent. The traffic holds are done for safety purposes to ensure drivers are not distracted as the cranes pass beneath the bridges.

The cranes will leave Baltimore and head to the Ports America terminal at the Port of Tampa. They are being moved as the port continues to upgrade infrastructure and make other enhancements to improve overall efficiency, port officials said.

Last year, the port put into service four additional ultra-large, Neo-Panamax cranes, each measuring 450 feet in height. The new cranes, which are fully electric with no diesel emissions, are part of a $166 million investment at Seagirt by Ports America Chesapeake. Also included are 15 hybrid-electric rubber-tired gantry cranes, a new truck gate complex and software upgrades that improve efficiencies for truckers.

The port is coming off a strong 2022, when it handled a record $74.3 billion worth of cargo and established new records for general cargo tons at the state-owned public terminals, imported 20-foot equivalent unit containers and imported paper.

Baltimore also handled the most cars and light trucks among all U.S. ports for the 12th consecutive year. The Port also ranks first among the nation’s ports for roll on/roll off heavy farm and construction machinery, as well as imported sugar and imported gypsum. The port is 10th among major U.S. ports for total cargo value and 12th for cargo tonnage.