The Maryland Port Administration provided these photos of the new cranes destined for the Port of Baltimore on Wednesday.STEVENSVILLE and BALTIMORE, Md.- The Maryland Transportation Authority says it will temporarily halt traffic in both directions this afternoon on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (US 50/301) and Francis Scott Key Bridge (I-695) during passage of a marine vessel carrying four large cranes.
The MDTA said traffic on the Bay Bridge will be stopped at approximately 1:15 p.m. for about 40 minutes; traffic on the Key Bridge will be stopped at approximately 3:15 p.m. for about 20 minutes. Times and durations are approximate and dependent upon the vessel's progress.
According to the MDTA, this action is being taken to ensure that drivers are not distracted while driving across the Bay and Key bridges during the passage of this marine vessel transporting four large, 14-story cranes up the Chesapeake Bay to the Port of Baltimore. The MDTA Engineering, Operations and Police Divisions are coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Pilot's Association.
The Maryland Port Administration said the cranes, the largest of their kind in the maritime industry and known as Super-Post Panamax, weigh about 1,550 metric tons each and can reach 22 containers across on a container ship, lift 187,300 pounds of cargo, and stand 140 feet off the ground while in a working position.
Construction on the Port of Baltimore's new 50-foot container berth was completed earlier this year. The port is now only one of two East Coast ports to have a 50-foot berth and 50-foot channel, two key factors in being able to attract some of the largest container ships in the world.
To learn more about the cranes and their delivery, visit the Maryland Port Administration's website mpa.maryland.gov.
Call 1-877-BAYSPAN (1-877-229-7726) for 24/7 traffic conditions at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
Visit baybridge.com to view live traffic cameras at the bridge and to sign up for traffic and email alerts.
