Port Of Baltimore Breaks Cargo Records Following Key Bridge Collapse Recovery

The Port of Baltimore recorded its highest-ever cargo activity in 2025, marking a major recovery just over a year after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge disrupted operations at one of the US East Coast’s most important ports.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore said the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore’s state-owned public and private marine terminals handled 2,223 cargo vessel visits in 2025.

This surpassed the previous record of 2,137 set in 2023 and represented a 21 per cent increase compared with 2024.

The recovery followed the reopening of the Fort McHenry shipping channel after the bridge collapse in March 2024.

The governor said the port plays an important role in Maryland’s economy and credited port workers for their resilience and commitment, noting that continued investment in port infrastructure would help strengthen supply chains, support economic growth, and create jobs.

Container activity at the Seagirt Marine Terminal also reached record levels. The terminal handled 1,113,309 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2025, exceeding the previous record set in 2023 by more than 5,000 containers.

Ship calls rose to 689, nearly 100 more than in 2023, while the number of weekly container services increased from 12 in 2024 to 15 in 2025.

Maryland Acting Secretary of Transportation Katie Thomson said continued investment in the port is essential to expand freight capacity and support job creation across the state.

Further growth is expected following the planned completion of the CSX Howard Street Tunnel Project in 2026.

The $518 million project will modernise a 130-year-old freight tunnel, allowing double-stack container trains to operate through Baltimore.

State officials estimate the upgrade will add around 160,000 containers each year and support nearly 14,000 jobs, while improving the port’s competitiveness with other regional ports.

Maryland Port Administration Executive Director Jonathan Daniels credited terminal operators, the International Longshoremen’s Association workforce, truckers, freight forwarders, and supply-chain partners for the port’s strong performance in 2025.

Ports America Chesapeake President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Schmidt said continued investment at the Seagirt terminal would support long-term growth.

Video Credits: WFAA/YouTube

In November 2025, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that a single loose wire, blocked by an improperly installed label band, caused an electrical blackout aboard the containership Dali.

The power loss disabled propulsion and steering, leading the 984-foot vessel to strike the bridge’s southern pier, killing six workers.

The NTSB described the failure as difficult to identify and has urged 30 owners of major bridges over navigable waterways to carry out vulnerability assessments.

Replacement of the Key Bridge is expected to cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion, with completion projected for late 2030.

The Port of Baltimore supports about 20,300 direct jobs and more than 273,000 jobs across Maryland, generating over $70 billion in annual economic impact.

In 2024, the port ranked first in the US for roll-on/roll-off farm and construction machinery, imported forest products, and imported gypsum.

It ranked second for autos and light trucks, salt, exported coal, and imported sugar, while placing 10th nationally for cargo value and 11th for total cargo tonnage.

Other developments in 2025 included a five-year contract extension with Carnival Cruise Line for year-round cruise operations, the arrival of the Evergreen Ever Model, the second-largest vessel ever to call at the port, and $72 million in funding for the Mid-Chesapeake Bay Environmental Restoration Project.

Reference: Maryland Government