NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — From tugboat crashes to flipped cargo ships, Rick Knapp dealt with numerous maritime disasters in our region. But he has never seen anything as bad as the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore.

Knapp spent more than three decades at the Port of Virginia, serving as C.O.O. of Virginia International Terminals Inc. from the 1980’s to 2009. He remembers leading clean-up efforts for a variety of maritime crashes. But what happened in Baltimore is unlike anything he has ever seen.

Knapp told 10 On Your Side, he has been thinking about the clean up since the collapse. “And I’ve been doing it ever since,” he said. “And I’ve been communicating with some people and currently are employed in the maritime industry, giving them some ideas on what I think should happen and how quickly it should happen.”

The logistics behind clearing the wreckage will be extensive. Knapp noted that they are not only dealing with many tons of steel. They have to figure out how to remove a road deck with several feet of thickness. Crews would need to cut it up while the deck is underwater so cranes can lift it out in chunks.

“That’s an entirely different story,” Knapp said. “And it’s going to take quite a while to figure out exactly how to do that.”

They have already cleared a small channel for things like tugboats and barges, but experts are saying it could be weeks before large freight vessels can pass through again. Knapp thinks it could take even longer, potentially close to a year. He said getting an accurate estimate on how long it will take is critical — so we can properly plan for the extra cargo in Hampton Roads.

“Somebody needs to figure out how long this is going to take,” Knapp said. “Realistically informed opinions.

Based on his years of experience at the port, he believes our facilities can realistically take on 20 to 25 percent more freight than typical. But he is worried we might not have enough truck drivers to ship them out.

“And that’s going to be a problem because the truckers just don’t want to go up 95,” Knapp said. “It’s congested to begin with.”

He adds, our port is likely unable to take in extra automobiles or agriculture equipment. Those shipments would have to go to other ports further north along the east coast.