Tradepoint Atlantic to handle 10,000 cars amid influx of redirected car carriers post-bridge collapse

In the aftermath of the Key Bridge collapse crippling the Port of Baltimore, Tradepoint Atlantic (TPA) has emerged as a vital conduit for redirected cargo.

The logistical hub is positioned beyond the bottleneck of the bridge, and is the only facility in the port that continues to receive redirected cargo predominantly from car carriers.

Over the forthcoming fifteen days, Tradepoint Atlantic anticipates the arrival of six regular roll-on/roll-off (Ro/Ro) vessels, and an additional nine redirected vessels. During that time, 10,000 automobiles will be unloaded and processed utilizing ILA’s Local 333, the company said in an update.

“While vessel traffic beyond the Francis Scott Key Bridge remains temporarily suspended due to channel clearing efforts, TPA’s marine terminal remains fully open. Throughout the recovery process, cargo berths have been operational, accepting previously scheduled arrivals, while also providing additional capacity to welcome redirected cargo,” TPA said.

“Redirected cargo continues to arrive at Tradepoint Terminals, as work to clear debris with state and federal partners has fully begun. TPA is committed to accepting redirected cargo to help maintain the supply chain and re-establish commercial activity.”

Reopening the main channel to unblock the Port of Baltimore, a top U.S. port for handling cars and trucks, remains a priority for the U.S. government. The vessel traffic in and out of the port remains suspended, with over 40 vessels believed to be stuck inside the fallen bridge.

The Unified Command, set up to lead the response and recovery efforts, has started clearing the channel and has opened alternative passages for vessel traffic. A five-acre facility has been cleared at TPA to store and process recovered bridge material.

The container traffic destined for Baltimore has been predominantly rerouted to the neighboring ports, such as Norfolk, Virginia, and New York/New Jersey ports, which have the capacity to absorb the additional cargo influx.

However, the suspension of traffic in Baltimore, a key port for RoRo traffic and farm equipment, is expected to create problems for manufacturers, like Deere and Caterpillar, moving product overseas, as explained by Kevin O’Marah, co-founder of Zero100.

“These are finished goods, though, which means ripple effects seen in Europe when parts held up by Red Sea attacks forced some stoppages at Tesla and Volvo assembly plants won’t be an issue this time. Also, auto dealerships in the eastern US may wait longer for imported vehicles to arrive, but again, these are finished goods en route to lots full of inventory,” he said.