CT retailers assessing impact of Baltimore bridge collapse to state

Retail businesses in Connecticut are assessing the impact of the Baltimore bridge collapse on supply chains and will work with partners to implement recovery or diversion strategies as needed, the head of the Connecticut Retail Network said Tuesday.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed Tuesday morning when a support column was hit by a cargo ship, sending cars into the Patapsco River, launching a search-and-rescue operation and prompting Gov. Wes Moore to declare a state of emergency.

Dali crew spent weekend in Baltimore before heading back to sea, but ship instead struck Key Bridge

Tim Phelan, president of the Connecticut Retail Network said Tuesday that, “it remains unclear how long the Port of Baltimore will remain closed to vessel traffic inbound or outbound, and that situation is being closely monitored.

A list of major US bridge collapses caused by ships and barges

“Retailers who had cargo on vessels in the port that were next destined for other East Coast ports are now assessing how to get the cargo to those ports and any additional steps that may become necessary,” he said in an emailed statement Tuesday. “Cargo that was destined for Baltimore will likely be diverted to other East Coast ports, possibly to include New York/New Jersey.  Those decisions will be made by the carriers, as more information becomes available to them.”

Phelan said retailers in Connecticut and “beyond will do everything possible to prevent any extended disruption to customers.”

Dali crew spent weekend in Baltimore before heading back to sea, but ship instead struck Key Bridge

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge knocked out a major artery of the Baltimore Beltway that thousands of commuters and commercial trucks use daily, The Baltimore Sun reported.

The extent of losing one of the most important bridges on the East Coast and its impact on traffic and trade is not immediately clear. But the disaster is sure to increase congestion around Baltimore’s two harbor tunnels and I-695 west, transportation experts say, the Sun reported.

Commuters directed away from Key Bridge after collapse shuts down I-695’s southeast corridor

The bridge carried more than 12.4 million commercial and passenger vehicles in 2023 — nearly 34,000 trips a day — according to a MDTA report issued last fall, the Sun reported. The four-lane bridge was the outermost of three toll crossings across the harbor in Baltimore, which also include the Harbor Tunnel (I-895) and the Fort McHenry Tunnel (I-95), the Sun reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.