Businesses near the site of Baltimore's Key Bridge work to recover as they await rebuild
The collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge had a significant impact on the region's small business community.
The bridge was a silent economic engine for the community. Without it, businesses on either side were isolated or saw their customer base shrink in the blink of an eye.
Locally owned businesses felt the immediate impact of the collapse, from layoffs, cutbacks, and even closures.
But amid the chaos, creativity and resilience emerged.
Businesses struggle to stay open after Baltimore bridge collapse
Businesses in Dundalk and Sparrows Point told WJZ they struggled to stay open as workers at the Port of Baltimore waited to go back to work.
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge brought many emotions for these businesses, some felt disbelief and shock. They said the space where the bridge once stood left an eeriness behind.
"[It was] the overwhelming feeling of where are were going from here," said Buddy Getty, operations manager at Atlantic Nationwide Trucking in Sparrows Point.
The Boulevard Diner, just miles from the Port of Baltimore, saw an initial surge of visitors.
"The immediate aftermath, I would say, was busier than normal," said Marc Tsakiris, co-owner of the Boulevard Diner. "I think a lot of people were coming from out of the area to see the damage themselves, maybe take pictures."
But Tsakiris said that rush faded quickly.
"We did see about a 25 to 30% loss, and that pretty much lasted through until the holidays," Tsakiris said.
The diner had a challenging five years, including surviving the pandemic and a flood, which prompted an abrupt six-week closure.
How did the Baltimore bridge collapse impact small businesses?
In May 2024, 64% of Baltimore County-based small businesses said they lost revenue due to the collapse, according to a report released by the Maryland Chamber of Commerce.
Uncertainty loomed for restaurants, truck drivers, and port workers who relied on the bridge.
Vinny's Café on Holabird Avenue is a stone's throw from the Port of Baltimore. They saw a significant decrease in their lunch crowd, which, one year later, is slowly returning to the Italian restaurant.
"You don't realize how many people use the bridge until that happens," Fabrizio Scotto, co-owner of Vinny's Café, said. "So we felt it instantly."
The Boulevard Diner and Vinny's Café serve different menus, but they share a customer base. Without the bridge, traffic congestion kept many regulars away.
"We saw a customer that we hadn't seen in a long time, and he just told us, 'it's the bridge,'" Scotto said.
Port workers are also customers at these restaurants. During the lunch rush, Karen Hughes Rupinski can often be found eating with her cousin. Both work at the Port of Baltimore.
Rupinski, who checks cars before they are loaded onto ships at the Dundalk Marine Terminal, said work was hard to come by during that time. She's a regular at the diner, but the lunch dates stopped when the bridge collapsed.
"In the blink of an eye, your whole life could change," Rupinski said. "And for a lot of people, it did, hon."
"The uncertainty of it was mind-boggling," she said. "It's very difficult every day not to know what tonight could bring or tomorrow."
Finally, after the channel cleared and regular ship traffic returned, they were able to return to the diner for their lunch.
"It was good. It was very good," she said. "Yes, we were happy. They missed us too."
Key Bridge collapse impacts trucking, transportation industries
The trucking and transportation industries also suffered after the collapse of the Key Bridge.
With no ships coming in and the port shuttered temporarily, trucking companies were left with a choice: drive to other ports to stay working or wait out the closure.
"I think I've been in the business for 47 years, 2024 was the most difficult, for sure," Getty said.
Atlantic Nationwide Trucking in Sparrows Point specializes in intermodal and domestic trucking. The company works with the port, bringing containers of imported or exported goods to and from the docks.
The drivers rely on the port, and with Baltimore-bound ships docking in other states, drivers had to quickly find a way to keep moving forward.
"We were overwhelmed with where the ships were going to go," Getty said. "Finding the containers, and then getting the rates in place, and getting movement done, we literally had to do all of that within 48 hours. And we did it."
How did small businesses adjust?
Getty said Atlantic Nationwide Trucking shifted its business model, finding ways to compete in other port cities while still serving customers in the Baltimore region.
Ships were rerouted to other ports in Norfolk, Va., Newark, N.J., and Philadelphia, Pa. Trucks then had to drive further to pick up and drop off cargo for their customers, which adds valuable time and costs money.
Atlantic Nationwide Trucking said they had to work their rates so they wouldn't lose business, and they also teamed up with other companies near those ports to stay afloat.
"We shifted from being a local trucker to a more over-the-road trucker," Getty said. "We went to these facilities with as many as 20 trucks a day. We have not recovered all of the business we lost, but I'd say we've recovered about 75%."
Now, businesses are counting down to a new bridge, one that will restore not just physical connections, but also Baltimore's economic flow.
"It would be amazing to try to get the bridge back as fast as possible," Tsakiris said. "That way, we can keep the community going."
"When it comes back up, I hope everything goes back to normal," Scotto said. "And if anything, I hope we gain more business-not just us, but everyone around here."
For now, small businesses continue to get creative, working to bring customers back after a year of struggle.
The tough, industrial side of Baltimore County is working together as a community to build back stronger.
Why did the Key Bridge collapse?
The Key Bridge collapsed on March 26, 2024, after the Dali, a cargo ship, struck one of the bridge's columns. The collapse resulted in the deaths of six construction workers.
Almost a year after the Key Bridge collapse, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) failed to conduct a critical vulnerability assessment that would have allowed officials to identify structural risks with the Key Bridge.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore, however, maintained that the blame should be on the owners and operators of the Dali.
Gov. Moore said no U.S. bridge could have withstood the impact of a ship the size of the Dali.
The governor also said that the Key Bridge has passed every federal assessment for over 30 years.
