Page 8 - Port of Baltimore - Issue 3 - 2022

PORT MESSAGES GOVERNOR’S MESSAGE
Investments Have Sustained Port’s Economic, Environmental Leadership
Since taking office, our administration has remained committed to making bold investments in the Port of Baltimore to ensure its continued success as one of the
best ports in America and a shining example of world-class infrastructure at work. Our strategic investments in vital infrastructure have equipped the Port of Baltimore to take
on the recent global supply chain crisis, adding ship calls to prevent economic disruptions caused by backlogs across the nation. We have managed to facilitate growth while providing strong environmental stewardship, and container volumes at the Port have increased 12% year after year.
At Seagirt Marine Terminal, our administration funded
the dredging of an additional 50-foot-deep container berth to expand the Port’s capacity to accommodate ultra-large ships. The investments of our partners at Ports America Chesapeake have resulted in the addition of supersized cranes, which provide the Port the ability to handle two ships simultaneously. The Port’s container business — which has already seen tremendous volume increases in recent years — will benefit immensely by being able to handle larger ships that can bring more cargo to Maryland.
At Dundalk Marine Terminal, we are funding state-of-the-art, renovated berths in order to support the Port of Baltimore’s continued success in handling more heavy equipment and cars
EXECUTIVE VIEW
Improvements Are Coming
to Shorten Turnaround Times
Hope everyone has had a great summer! Over the past several months, the U.S. East Coast has been experiencing a significant shift in vessel calls and volumes. This increase in volume has put pressure on all aspects of our supply chain, workforces and region, leading to significant increases in dwell times, import and empty container volumes, and equipment shortages. The Port
of Baltimore has benefited from this shift in cargo with additional volumes, services and new rail business.
During this time, we have been working closely with
our partner Ports America Chesapeake and have remained focused on accommodating current and future cargo demands at Seagirt Marine Terminal. We have many infrastructure projects currently in the pipeline that, presently and in the near future, will improve efficiency, increase capacity and reduce turn times for our truckers. These projects include:
• Adding additional rubber-tired gantry cranes that will increase velocity and decrease truck turn times;
• Opening a new outbound truck gate that will increase capacity by 50% and improve departure times from the terminal;
and light trucks than any other U.S. port. The newly constructed berths will be able to better accommodate the ever-increasing size of heavy machinery that the Port handles daily.
On the environmental side, the state’s nationally recognized dredging program continues to reuse sediment dredged from our shipping channels in environmentally constructive ways. The Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island Ecosystem Restoration will begin to restore eroded island habitat and help protect the shoreline from erosion beginning this fall. The island sites will eventually replace Poplar Island as the state’s primary receiving site for sediment dredged from the bay.
Our administration’s investments into the Port of Baltimore have produced results that will reap benefits for years to come, both as a major economic driver and to cement Maryland
as a nation-leading environmental steward. At state-owned, public marine terminals and through our innovative and award-winning dredging program, the investments we’ve made have increased business at the Port and generated new jobs for Marylanders. Through an effective balance between commerce and environmental stewardship, our strategic investments will safeguard the supply chain while sustainably maintaining Maryland’s environment.
Larry Hogan, Governor
• Modernizing our on-dock railroad Intermodal Container Transfer Facility with funding just recently received from a $15.6 million federal grant that will help to double throughput capacity;
• Moving an empty depot offsite to reduce container truck traffic and allow for quicker turnarounds of empty containers.
• On the software/tech side, we’re beginning a digital appointment system and thus going paperless
on inbound and outbound, which will make a significant difference in truck processing.
In Baltimore, we clearly understand what we need to do to deal with the supply chain and distribution network challenges that have been ignited by the pandemic. These are extremely challenging times for our industry and we are laser-focused on making the necessary changes to improve overall efficiencies at the Port of Baltimore.
William P. Doyle, Executive Director
[6] The Port of Baltimore ■ ISSUE 3 / 2022