Tugboat company stranded at dock in Baltimore due to ongoing bridge cleanup: ‘We’re stuck’

The Port of Baltimore Shutdown: Impact on Local Businesses

BALTIMORE – The recent shutdown of the Port of Baltimore has had a significant impact on businesses along the Patapsco River, including tugboat company Upper Bay Assist. With ship traffic halted, the tugboats remain docked as cleanup efforts continue.

Jordan McCluskey, the owner of Upper Bay Assist, has been in the maritime industry for nearly two decades. He was shocked to hear about the Key Bridge collapse in the early hours of March 26. Living and working near Old Bay Road in Sparrows Point, just a few miles south of the collapsed bridge, McCluskey and his team are unable to guide coal barges through the channel to the Brandon Shore Power Plant.

To help offset the financial strain on local businesses, the Small Business Administration is offering loans of up to $2 million each. Nearly 60 businesses have already applied for these working capital loans to help them through this challenging time.

Governor Wes Moore, along with other state leaders and Senator Ben Cardin, visited a recovery center in Baltimore to meet with business owners and discuss the impact of the port shutdown. Senator Cardin emphasized the importance of these loans in helping small businesses stay afloat during this difficult period.

McCluskey remains hopeful that the channel will reopen by the summer, as the busy season for the power plant approaches. He, along with other tugboat drivers, is eager to get back to work once the port and channel are operational again. Until then, the majority of large ship traffic will remain on hold, as the auxiliary channel is too small and shallow for larger vessels.