There is a workhorse in the Port of Baltimore that never rests. Working 24/7, the Dundalk Marine Terminal is the port?s largest and most versatile general cargo facility. Adjacent to Seagirt Marine Terminal via an internal connector bridge, DMT covers 570 acres of waterfront property. The multiuse terminal handles anything that can be shipped, including containers, automobiles, farm equipment and liquid bulk cargo.
Dundalk boasts a total of 13 vessel berths, 10 container cranes and two gantry cranes. It?s the second-largest marine terminal on the East Coast.
More than 150 acres at DMT are dedicated to storage with covered areas for weather-sensitive cargoes such as wood pulp and steel coils. The public terminal offers direct rail access to all berths for faster transit times to the Midwest.
The great resurgence of Baltimore?s port over the past 50 years is linked to the success of Dundalk Marine Terminal.
During World War II, business at the Port of Baltimore?s privately owned facilities was booming with massive wartime shipments and ship construction. However, during the post-war years, the shipping industry was going through major changes with the introduction of larger, more specialized freighters and the infusion of containerization. Baltimore?s piers were decaying and private business lacked the funds to compete with other East Coast ports.
In 1959, all that changed with the state?s purchase of 365 open acres of waterfront property on Broening Highway. The old Baltimore Marine Air Terminal was sold byBaltimore City to the state for $4.1 million.
Some state officials balked at paying such a large sum for a piece of land, for business that may not come.
W. Gregory Halpin, retired port executive director, credits Joseph Stanton, the Port Authority?s first executive director with leadership poise by telling port officials, “the only thing we can do wrong is do nothing.”
The newly appointed port commissioners quickly responded. The transfer of Harbor Field to the Maryland Port Authority officially took place on December 31, 1960.
Although a multiuse facility, DMT was particularly equipped to handle imports of automobiles. The fledgling terminal received 40,000 cars in its first year of operation. The total soon climbed past 300,000 vehicles.
Looking forward, a ten-year plan is in place to transform Dundalk Marine Terminal into a dedicated roll-on, roll-off terminal, handling automobiles, forest products, farm equipment and construction materials.
A longtime export analyst and consultant, Joseph R. Hughes? maritime-related articles have appeared in numerous publications. He is a native Baltimorean. E-mail your questions to him at [email protected].
