The bridge collapse shut down shipping traffic at Baltimore's port 'until further notice'

• A container ship collided with a major bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday.
• The bridge's collapse led to all shipping traffic in and out of the port being suspended.

The bridge collapse in Baltimore is having a significant impact on the city's port, one of the nation's busiest.

A container ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge at around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, causing the structure to fall into the Patapsco River.

Paul Wiedefeld, the Maryland transportation secretary, said at a press conference: "Vessel traffic into and out of the port of Baltimore is suspended until further notice."

The port remains open to trucks, however.

By tonnage volume, the port of Baltimore is only about the 18th busiest in the US. However, it is thought to be the largest for roll-on/roll-off ships that carry trucks and trailers.

Maersk, the Danish shipping company that chartered the vessel, said it was "omitting Baltimore on all our services for the foreseeable future."

It added that for ships already on the water, cargo set for Baltimore would be taken to other ports and then moved on land.

"Please note that for cargo set to discharge in Baltimore, delays may occur, as they will need to discharge in other ports. We are keeping a close eye on the safety situation in the area and continuing to assess the viability of transportation through the area," Maersk said.