4 Cranes Stop Traffic On Way To Port Of Baltimore

BALTIMORE, MD — A set of cranes arrived at the Port of Baltimore Thursday after passing under two bridges where authorities closed the roads to traffic to prevent rubbernecking. They will help the port handle cargo from some of the world's largest ships, according to officials.

The four ultra-large NeoPanamax container cranes traveled under the Bay Bridge around 10 a.m. Thursday and the Key Bridge at approximately noon.

Traffic was held "for safety purposes and to ensure that drivers [were] not districted crossing these bridges during the cranes' passage beneath the structures," the Maryland Transportation Authority advised.

With a great backdrop of the Key Bridge ⁦@TheMDTA⁩ pic.twitter.com/i5kMm9ftiy
— Port of Baltimore (@portofbalt) September 9, 2021

The container cranes arrived at Seagirt Marine Terminal Thursday afternoon, where Gov. Larry Hogan joined Maryland Transportation Secretary Greg Slater, Executive Director of the Port William Doyle and Ports America Chesapeake Vice President Bayard Hogans to mark the occasion.

The cranes will grow the Port of Baltimore's container business, and complement the Howard Street Tunnel project, Hogan reportedly said.

This is an historic day for the @portofbalt and the State of Maryland as we welcome four Neo-Panamax container cranes following a two-month journey that included passage under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the Francis Scott Key Bridge. pic.twitter.com/2Vhtf645hM
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) September 9, 2021

Before arriving in Baltimore, the cranes completed a two-month journey from China. They left Shanghai in June, then docked in Annapolis for nearly a week before making the final leg of the trip to the port Thursday morning, according to Chesapeake Bay Magazine. The cranes will enable the port to accommodate more super-size ships, the magazine reported.

One crane stretched 176 feet, and the Bay Bridge has a vertical clearance of 186 feet, according to the magazine.

The cranes are expected to be operational by the end of the year, according to the Maryland Port Administration.

Authorities shared video of the cranes passing under the Key Bridge:

Here is the passage of the cranes under the Bay Bridge:

The Port of Baltimore shared footage of the cranes' journey Thursday on YouTube as well: