YORK, Pa. (WHTM) — The signs on southbound I-83 in York County say simply: “I-695 Key Bridge closed in Maryland,” before advising drivers of alternate routes.

Accurate. But what an understatement.

And on top of the tragedy — the lives lost, especially — come the economic, logistical and cultural connections between Baltimore and what are essentially some of its bedroom communities in York County, Pa.

Or put another way, “I think we could certainly consider some parts of northern Maryland being southern York County,” said Kevin Schreiber, president and CEO of the York County Economic Alliance.

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Schreiber said about 17% of York’s imports and 17% of its exports — or about 40 million tons of cargo in each direction — flows to and from the county’s south, “with the vast majority of that going through the port of Baltimore,” whose operations are frozen because ships can’t pass through the only available channel, where the Francis Scott Key Bridge stood.

Typical imports that could be disrupted, to some degree, include cars coming off container ships, Schreiber said. Typical exports include farm equipment and other agricultural materials.

Schreiber said lessons learned during the pandemic, which have resulted in more nimble supply chains, should minimize the disruptions: Goods will be re-routed, albeit with some delays.

Cruise passengers are being rerouted too, at least for now. Carnival announced its Legend, currently in the Caribbean, will return to Norfolk, Virginia, this Sunday rather than to Baltimore; it’ll bus passengers back to Baltimore for free.

“We know so many of our guests from York and central Pennsylvania have loved to sail from there over the years,” Carnival spokesman Matt Lupoli said of Baltimore. “We look forward to better days there as well, especially to getting back to our home port operations there in Baltimore.”

Carnival hasn’t confirmed any diversions beyond Sunday but said it also couldn’t yet confirm when its normal Baltimore operations will resume; that will depend on when leaders are able to re-open the port to marine traffic.

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Lupoli said passengers booked on upcoming cruises who need any extra help or flexibility should call Carnival or their travel agents.

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