BALTIMORE (AP) - The port of Baltimore has welcomed the first-ever mega-container ship to arrive at its docks through the newly expanded Panama Canal, marking what officials call a "new era" for the port.
Media outlets report that Tuesday the Ever Lambent, a 1,095-foot Taiwanese cargo ship that can carry more than 4,200 40-foot shipping containers, arrived in Baltimore. Thanks to years of work dredging the port, it can now handle the large ships, creating a new boom for the port.
U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski says that now the port has a 50-foot channel and state-of-the-art cranes, it's one of the country's most efficient ports. It's expected to help sustain more than 120,000 jobs and $3.6 billion in salaries.
Mikulski and U.S. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger have advocated for the port for about 30 years.
