A long-awaited safety report published by the US Coast Guard (USCG) in the aftermath of the 2024 bridge allision at the Port of Baltimore has highlighted growing vulnerabilities across America’s port infrastructure as commercial maritime traffic continues to evolve.
The report from the USCG’s Ports and Waterways Safety Act Board of Inquiry, made public on 4 September, points to the underutilisation of waterway risk assessment tools in addressing emerging risks.
The investigation follows the incident involving the containership Dali, which struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six people and forcing the closure of the Port of Baltimore.
“The tragic Key Bridge incident underscores the urgent need to strengthen our approach to port safety and risk management,” USCG Rear Adm. Wayne Arguin, chair of the agency’s Board of Inquiry (BOI), said in a press release.
Following the casualty, the BOI was convened to evaluate the risks posed to critical port infrastructure by the increasing size of domestic and foreign commercial vessels, as well as rising traffic density.
Its mandate also included conducting risk assessments for 11 ports, including some of the country’s leading container gateways, evaluating the effectiveness and use of existing USCG waterways risk assessment tools, and providing recommendations to the USCG Commandant.
One of the most significant findings of the inquiry concerns the implementation of the Waterways Analysis and Management System (WAMS).
Federal requirements stipulate that WAMS reviews should be carried out at least once every five years for critical port channels. However, the report found that 18 of the 41 ports surveyed, representing 44%, had no record of completing a WAMS review since 2015.
The situation is also concerning among the country’s largest cargo gateways. Of the top 50 US cargo ports by volume, only around half have completed a WAMS assessment during the past decade.
To support its analysis, the Board conducted port surveys through the development of a Maritime Port Metrics Dashboard (MPMD). The tool brings together and correlates data from multiple sources to assess port performance and historical vessel activity.
According to the report, the underutilisation of existing waterways risk assessment tools, combined with an increased assumption of unanticipated risk by port zone captains, demonstrates that the MPMD could have value beyond its use by the Board of Inquiry.
“As designed, the tool has the potential to assist Coast Guard waterways managers, port operators, and maritime stakeholders in assessing historical vessel trends to support operational risk mitigation,” the report noted.
The USCG is currently exploring an expansion of the dashboard. While the initial assessment covered 11 ports, the tool could eventually be extended to 361 ports, including river systems. The expansion is presently in a pilot developmental phase.
The Board also issued several key recommendations, all directed at the USCG.
These include reviewing and updating the agency’s waterways risk assessment policies and tools, identifying, establishing baselines for and monitoring Maritime Transportation System (MTS) metrics, strengthening the workforce responsible for managing and responding to MTS risks, and working with port partners to implement identified mitigation strategies.
The findings underline the growing challenge facing US port authorities and maritime regulators as larger vessels and increasing traffic volumes place additional pressure on infrastructure that, in many cases, was designed for a different era of commercial shipping.
The USCG will now collect public comments on the Board of Inquiry’s recommendations until 28 February 2027. Stakeholders can submit feedback by email to BOIComments@uscg.mil.
The feedback received will help inform the USCG’s Final Action Memorandum, which is scheduled for release in August 2027.
