Federal officials will allow truckers rerouted by the the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, to temporarily drive longer hours than laws permit.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) extended an hours-of-service waiver for commercial vehicles transporting commodities on routes disrupted by the accident and those involved in reopening the port.
Under the emergency declaration, a maximum 11-hour driving time has been extended to 13 hours and will remain in effect until either 9 May or the end of the emergency, FMCSA said.
The hours-of-service waiver applies to trucks transporting gasoline, ethanol, propane, natural gas and heating oil from Baltimore's Curtis Bay terminal for delivery to ten locations detailed in the declaration.
Trucks transporting freight, shipping containers, automobiles or other equipment such as heavy duty machinery have also been granted hours-of-service relief.
The bridge collapse has rerouted gasoline cargoes in the Baltimore area since the product cannot be transported through the Fort McHenry (I-95) and Baltimore Harbor (I-895) tunnels — the two other major roads that cross the Patapsco River at Baltimore.
The harbor's channel will be partially reopened to a depth of 35ft by the end of April and will fully reopen by the end of May, the Maryland Port Administration said on Thursday. Rebuilding the bridge will likely take many years.
