b'JUNE 2024M A R Y L A N DP O R T S 43(BEYONDcontinued from page 42)For the MPA there is both the short term and long term to be considered.We actually kicked off our stra-tegic weekly plan during this incident. Then we added our short term busi-ness plan over about the next three to five years. That is going to match part of a larger master business plan well be kicking off sometime in 2024 for the future for the Port of Baltimore, Daniels said of the planning process.AsfortheportsMasterPlan, DanielsoutlinedthattheMPAis evaluatingthecommercialsideand thenbackingthatupwithcertain developmentsthataregoingfor that to be necessary. These involve among many other thingstakingalookatthealready strong ro/ro operations, cruise ship growth prospects, environmental pro-grams and the container terminal oper-ations at Seagirt. He added that what we call our strategic business planwill be completed by the end of 2024. The longer master vision plan . wellSources: Vessel location information is from the USDOT Volpe Center SeaVision system.Vehicle counts are from the Maryland Transportation be done with that sometime in maybeAuthority FY 2024 Traffic and Toll Revenue Forecast Update, November 3, 2023.The map, statistics on hazardous cargo routes, and tabulations of the third quarter, 2025. Thats a littlethe Freight Analysis Framework are by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.bit more involved with infrastructure developmentP ort ofB altiMore : P roudly THEPORTP ushinga headAnd perhaps the biggest questionTmarkforSeagirtMarineTerminal and the MPA involves the anticipated moveofMediterraneanaShippingfor NATIONCompany (MSC), the worlds largest containership operator, tonew ter- OURminal. MSC is planning on switching its Baltimore port calls from Seagirt to the proposed Sparrow Point Con-tainerTerminal(SPCT)locatedon Tradepoint Point Atlantics (TPA) site uponthefacilityscompletionand estimated opening in 2028.With that scenario as a backdrop, Daniels and the MPA are planning to aggressively push ahead. So,timingonthis,(is)prob-ably sometime in 2027 or 2028. [But] were not waiting for backfill oppor-tunities.Weneedtobeactiveand aggressiveandlooking(at)whats availablenowinthegrowthofnot only our existing trade lanes, but what newareasoftheworldDaniels said. Adding, Were going to look at what opportunities are out there, but werenotwaitingforthatutilityto becomeavailable.Thatswhereour staffisworkinghandinhandwith Ports America Chesapeake [Seagirts operator and stevedore] to make sure that were going to backfill that prior to that move we just dont want a gap [in service].Overall, the tragedy of the bridge has brought out the best in the State, theCityandthePort,whichbodes well for the future, as the rebuilding of a new bridge and really a new era inthePortofBaltimorebegins. As Daniels saidinexplaining hisinter-actionthroughthecrucibleofcrisis withthegreaterportcommunity,ClosestEastCoastPorttotheMidwestThe warm welcome I have had here has been incredible. Thats buoyed meOn-DockIntermodalContainerTransferFacilityduring this process, the support that Ive had, that weve had at all levels,DrivingAccessto2/3oftheU.S.PopulationWithin24Hoursthe way in which the federal govern-ment, state government, local entitiesWithinMinutestoInterstateHighwayshave all come together on this. I have never seen a response to any incident50-FootDeepBerthsIveeverbeeninvolvedintheway thatweveseenithereIveneverMarylandports.com 1.800.638.7519been as proud to be a part of such an incident, as tragic as it is. The way inGovernor Wes MooreMDOT Secretary Paul. J. Wiedefeld Executive Director Jonathan Danielswhich it was worked through and to (BEYONDcontinued on page 46)'