Tradepoint Atlantic and Terminal Investment Limited (TiL) have broken ground on the Sparrows Point Container Terminal, a 168-acre facility with an on-dock rail system at Coke Point in Baltimore.
The development follows the partnership securing approximately $1.2bn in private financing, making it one of the largest such investments in the country for a container terminal.
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The new terminal is expected to increase container handling capacity at the Port of Baltimore by 70 per cent and is projected to create over 8,000 jobs in Maryland.
Current plans indicate that upon its completion in 2030, the site could handle around one million containers each year, positioning Baltimore as the third-largest container port on the US East Coast, up from sixth place.
Developers have designed the terminal to include direct intermodal connectivity via its on-dock rail facility, allowing the use of double-stacking rail cars.
This arrangement will enable more efficient cargo movement from the terminal to broader markets.
The layout includes seven ship-to-shore cranes, providing capacity to serve two ultra-large container ships at the same time.
Tradepoint Atlantic managing director Kerry Doyle said: “Our partnership with TiL is a transformational investment in Maryland’s economy and Baltimore’s future.
“The Sparrows Point Container Terminal will position the Port as a true global gateway and economic engine, making Maryland strategically significant and globally competitive for decades to come.”
The state of Maryland has committed $88m to the project from various sources.
These investments include $48m in conditional loans from the Department of Commerce through the Sunny Day Fund over the next six state fiscal years, pending approval from the Legislative Policy Committee, $2m through the Advantage Maryland programme, and $38m from the 2025 and 2026 budgets.
In addition, the project will receive nearly $40m from the US Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program along with support through a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement with Baltimore County.
Once operational, the terminal will provide 1,100 permanent jobs for members of the International Longshoremen’s Association, with an expected 7,000 additional indirect jobs linked to the terminal’s operation.
Estimates indicate the facility will generate about $1.5bn in annual economic activity for the state of Maryland.
Maryland governor Wes Moore said: “Progress doesn’t just happen, progress is made to happen. From our response to the Key Bridge collapse two years ago to the recovery that continues to this day, Team Maryland and our federal partners are showing what it looks like to deliver progress through partnership. Today at Sparrows Point, we mark the next chapter in the Port of Baltimore’s success story, for our workers, for our state, and for our nation.”
The site, previously home to Bethlehem Steel, is being redeveloped as part of Tradepoint Atlantic’s broader effort to transform Sparrows Point into a central logistics hub for the East Coast.
The terminal is developed in collaboration with TiL, which is owned by MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company and Global Infrastructure Partners.
