FMCSA expounds on Key Bridge emergency

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration hosted a webinar on Wednesday, April 10 to further explain the emergency declaration issued after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Details on the hours-of-service provisions within the Key Bridge emergency were covered by FMCSA, along with how waivers and exemptions directly affect motor carriers and drivers.

A question-and-answer portion of the presentation allowed drivers to hear FMCSA’s response to issues they currently are experiencing as a result of the Key Bridge collapse.

FMCSA is still accepting inquiries about the Key Bridge emergency at FMCSADeclaration@dot.gov.

Key Bridge emergency overview

First issued on March 26 and extended on April 4, the current Key Bridge emergency remains in effect until May 8.

Under that declaration, motor carriers and drivers are granted relief from maximum driving time up to a maximum of two additional hours. The International Fuel Tax Agreement requirements also have been waived.

The emergency declaration defines direct assistance as:

• Transportation related to the immediate restoration of essential services at the Port of Baltimore
• Transportation of commodities re-routed due to the disruptions to vessel traffic into the Port
• Transportation of gasoline, ethanol, propane, natural gas and heating oil from Maryland’s Curtis Bay terminal (within the Baltimore Marine Terminal area) for delivery to the following locations within Maryland: Anne Arundel, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Cecil County, Frederick County, Harford County, Howard County, Queen Anne’s County and Washington County

Stay up to date with the latest Maryland traffic information through this Land Line resources page.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released a tentative timeline for the partial and full reopening of the Port of Baltimore.

That plan aims to have the port running at full capacity by the end of May. LL

Take a more detailed look at our Salvage Operations Plan (including efforts to establish a limited access channel) in this updated animation. 🏗 The Unified Command is undertaking this work with care and precision to restore full service to the @portofbalt. #FSKBridge pic.twitter.com/riU84bkYAc

— USACE Baltimore (@USACEBaltimore) April 11, 2024

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