By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
Maryland Governor Wes Moore has announced that the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore achieved its second-highest year on record for cargo volume in 2025. The nearly 50 million tons of cargo handled last year was worth $65.6 billion, the third-highest value in the port’s history.
The March 24 announcement came just days before the two year anniversary of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse on March 26, 2024, which partially closed the maritime hub’s primary shipping channel for more than two months, significantly impacting operations in the region.
Demolition of the remaining structure of the bridge took place in July 2025.
In December 2025, the Maryland Transportation Authority said the cost of the rebuild would be anywhere from $4.3 to $5.2 billion. They also adjusted the timeline and pushed expectations of a full reopening to late 2030.
During his tour of the port on March 24, Moore praised its resilience and critical role in the state and the nation.
“We see something that is not just responsible for about a quarter of a million jobs inside of Maryland and about $70 billion in economic activity, we see something that represents the pride of the state,” said Moore. “It’s the people who come up every single day before the sun even comes up—the ones who are moving cargo, the ones who are moving freight. This place right here represents where about two-thirds of the country gets their goods from. This place represents the largest roll-on/roll-off port inside the entire country.”
The 50 million tons of cargo included 11.1 million tons of autos, farm and construction machinery, containers and forest products. The Port of Baltimore ranked second in the U.S. for autos, processing 728,225, and first in the nation for roll-on/roll-off farm and construction equipment, with 887,513 tons moved.
Overall, the port ranked 10th in the U.S. for foreign cargo value and 11th for foreign cargo tonnage.
Fred Poland, longshoreman with the port for 15 years, said he was grateful for the port’s progress while remembering the risk of losing work altogether when full-scale operations were stalled.
“This port bids on work from around the country. If this work has to go to another place, we as longshoremen can’t travel in between. They would get the work, and it would be detrimental to us because we would have no work,” said Poland. “With this recovery being as fast as it was, it was a great thing. But, we still lost work, and we’re still trying to recover.”
He recalled being out of work in the immediate aftermath of the bridge collapse. However, he had already faced a similar kind of economic uncertainty when the General Motors assembly plant, formerly located near the port, closed in 2005.
“When they left, a lot of people didn’t understand that you lost everything, your livelihood,” said Poland. “That’s what would have happened here if we couldn’t open and recover. Everybody would have to get a new job, and good jobs are hard to find.”
Fred Poland is a longshoreman for the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore with 15 years of service. 
Maryland Governor Wes Moore drives a tractor at the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore on March 24. Credit: All AFRO Photos / James Fields 
Jonathan Daniels, executive director of the Maryland Port Administration (MPA), stands at the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore with cargo terminals in the background on March 24. Credit: All AFRO Photos / James Fields 
AFRO reporter Megan Sayles takes a moment from the tour to capture a photo at the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore on March 24. Credit: All AFRO Photos / James Fields
In spite of the port’s record year, officials acknowledged that the cargo hub could have handled even more freight had the bridge disaster not occurred. Still, as cargo volumes continue to rebound, questions are being raised about how increased activity could affect nearby communities already grappling with heavy truck traffic and aging infrastructure.
Turner Station, a historic Black community located less than 2 miles from the port, has seen a surge in truck traffic since the bridge fell, placing additional strain on roads and drainage systems that were already burdened.
Jonathan Daniels, executive director of the Maryland Port Administration (MPA), said efforts are underway to reduce both environmental and traffic impacts. He pointed to a recently awarded $147-million Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Ports grant that will fund the replacement of 213 pieces of fossil-fuel equipment with electric alternatives—a transition expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 35 percent by 2030.
He also said MPA is examining long-term transportation patterns to mitigate congestion in surrounding communities.
“As we’re taking a look at the long-term master vision plan, it’s not only taking a look at what impacts we have inside the gate with traffic and congestion, it’s looking at our external transportation network to make sure that the work we’re doing evolves with the community and does not overwhelm the community,” said Daniels.
As the port continues to make strides in its recovery journey, attention is turning to the status of the bridge rebuild. Officials confirmed that the reconstruction is progressing at the fastest pace for a project of its size in the U.S. Its reopening is slated for late 2030.
