A Look at Baltimore’s Key Bridge Collapse—One Month Later

It's been exactly one month since the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was struck by a 948-foot cargo ship and collapsed. In our latest “Ask an Expert,” we spoke with Barry Kukkuk, Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer of Netstock, about the incident and recovery.

It’s been about a month since Baltimore's Key Bridge collapsed. How would you rate the overall disruption in supply chains on a scale of 1-100?

In the US market, I would rate it at about 20, as Baltimore is about the 15th largest container port in the US. On a global front, probably closer to 5. It doesn’t rank very high on the list of busiest ports in the world.

From the outside, it looks like the overall impact won’t be as severe as originally predicted. Would you agree? 

Yes, the overall impact is pretty small. This is probably because Baltimore ranks about 300th on the World Bank’s 2022 Container Port Index. 

Do you think the government’s response has been adequate so far? 

Absolutely. The US Army Corps has been working hard to clear the debris and open the port again. Optimistic efforts estimate the re-opening of the port in May 2024. Even though the land-based logistics will still be affected, at least the port should be open soon.

Can you provide examples of industries that were most affected by the bridge collapse, and how they are navigating the challenges? 

Exports from Baltimore are dominated by Automobiles and light trucks, followed by Coal and Natural gas. Those were hit the hardest by the disaster. All of the container ships have been rerouted to the Port of New York and New Jersey and the Post of West Virginia. So transportation routes had to be changed, but overall it looks like everyone is coping.

The Key Bridge Collapse was a horrible event for many reasons. Is there anything companies can do to prepare and avoid an incident like this? 

Barry Kukkuk

It's always tough to hear about supply chain disruptions, and the recent Baltimore Bridge collapse drives home the unpredictable challenges businesses face. In today's landscape, no business is immune to external disruptions, so it's paramount to remain prepared. Using the right tools will allow companies to pivot and quickly adjust demand and supply planning, limiting the costly knock-on effects of disruptions so they can still meet demand. There are many moving parts to managing inventory, and Netstock is designed to help its customers make calm decisions when faced with events that are out of their control.

Netstock is a leader in supply and demand planning software, trusted by 2,200+ customers globally to optimize their planning. With a $25B inventory managed by Netstock, the company’s cloud-based solutions enable businesses to be agile, responsive, and profitable amid market changes.

Related Article

 

Baltimore Continues Bridge Recovery With Opening of New Channel

In a milestone event Thursday, the first commercial vessels moved through the Fort McHenry Limited Access Channel.  The 35-foot deep temporary channel provides a way for ships that have been stranded in the Port of Baltimore after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse to finally exit.