I was up early this morning working on some photo editing and listening to some music. I was in great spirits till I took a break and turned on the news and saw the Key (Francis Scott Key) Bridge collapse after being struck by a ship. The day after Maryland Day we had a tragedy of epic proportions.

First the loss of life of the people who were on the bridge. My heart goes out to you. To the first responders trying rescue efforts in that wreckage in the dark in the cold, you have all our respect.

The impact on the port and shipping could be huge and therefore the economic impact on the area will be felt by everyone. Travel in the area is in for a major change, this is part of the Baltimore Beltway a huge ribbon that rings the city.

This is also a major route up and down the east coast and alternate routes are already overfull. The travel nightmare for many has just begun. This isn’t as simple as that I-95 bridge collapse in Philly a while back. We are talking about a 1.6-mile bridge over the Patapsco River that has a large clearance for ocean-going container ships.

It’s too early to contemplate the full impact of this but as a member of the community of the region, I’ll do my part to help things bounce back. But it’s going to take some time and some pain for many.

I have a neighbor who works at the Port of Baltimore and I know this will impact him greatly.