Baltimore Shipping Channel Reopens After Bridge Collapse
- Posted on June 11, 2024
- News
- By Arijit Dutta
- 190 Views
The Port of Baltimore's shipping channel has fully reopened 11 weeks after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, allowing maritime traffic to resume after a massive salvage operation.
The Port of Baltimore’s shipping channel is again fully open, 11 weeks after the failure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge when it was hit by a cargo ship.
On Monday, the US Army Corps of Engineers stated that the path on which Key Bridge collapsed on March 26 is “available for use again. ” The channel is 700 feet wide and 50 feet deep and has been returned to its original capacity.
The bridge collapsed after a cargo ship called Dali strayed off course and crashed into the construction, and six construction workers lost their lives on the bridge at the time of the accident. The occurrence effectively cut a major shipping lane in Baltimore’s harbors.
Over the past several months, it was possible to clear the channel from approximately 50,000 tons of steel and concrete debris. The Army Corps described the effort as involving over 2,000 responders, hundreds of international specialists, tugboats, and over a dozen floating cranes.
‘While the overall goal of bringing the Federal Channel back to full working capacity was achieved, every day we remembered families of the victims, the bereaved, and workers affected by this sad incident,’ said Baltimore District Commander Col Estee Pinchasin.
Finally, last month the Dali ship was shifted from under the wreckage by the tugboats, and the channel is expected to be opened this week. The FBI and the Coast Guard are still working to determine the cause of the ship leaving its course and crashing into the bridge.
Also Read: Dali Crew was stuck for weeks after the Baltimore Bridge Disaster
Initial investigations conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board suggested that the Dali had faced engine power reduction before the accident. It will take more than 4 years to reconstruct the collapsed bridge span and it is likely to cost up to $1. 9 billion.
