Here’s How the Maryland Bridge Collapse Will Affect Maine & New Hampshire

Even though we were all shocked when we heard that a major bridge in the Baltimore area had been knocked down by a runaway freighter, most of us had no concerns about it affecting our lives.  After all, we live in New England, 600 miles away from Baltimore.

It turns out that we are likely to be affected by the bridge's destruction, but not for another few weeks.

The Port of Baltimore is one of the busiest ports in the country.  According to U. S News, it is the ninth busiest port in the country, and moves approximately 50 million tons of goods each year.

With the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, entry and exit to the port have been blocked.  The article explains that the blockage will end up costing about $9 million per day.

When will Maine and New Hampshire feel the effects of the collapse?

According to an article in the KJ, most of New England won't see any supply chain issues brought on by the collapse for about a month.

And fortunately, it looks like those issues will be mild.

Cars, trucks, & SUVs

The article explains that many imported vehicles enter the country through the Port of Baltimore.  In 2023, the port moved nearly 850,000 vehicles.

Even though many automakers are already rerouting shipments through other ports, there is a good chance that there could be a shortage of certain vehicles.

There is no word on whether we could also see a shortage of certain vehicle parts and accessories, but it would not be out of the question.

Fuel

Since much of New England's fuel is delivered via pipeline, there should not be any fuel shortages.

Other items

There is a chance that we could see shortages of random items in the coming months, like certain electronics, food products, etc.  Even though these shortages could be a major nuisance, they are not expected to be as bad as the pandemic-era supply chain issues we experienced in 2020 and 2021.

Clearly, the worst part of the situation was the loss of those six lives.  Our thoughts go out to their families and friends.