The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore harbor collapsed last week, causing a blockage in the shipping channel leading to one of the nation’s busiest ports. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that they plan to partially reopen the channel by the end of April, with full traffic expected to be restored by late May. The channel will first be opened to container ships and vessels transporting automobiles, allowing for one-way traffic at a time to and from the port.
President Biden is scheduled to visit the site of the wreckage on Friday, where he will go on an aerial tour and receive a briefing on the response and recovery efforts. He will also meet with the loved ones of six construction workers who are presumed dead after falling into the river with the bridge’s collapse. Responders have been conducting underwater surveys and detailed structural analysis of the wreckage to assess the work ahead.
Experts have stated that the clearing of the debris from the channel will be a complex and dangerous underwater salvage operation. Divers will need to cut the metal and concrete structures at the bottom of the Patapsco River into more manageable pieces, which will then be hoisted to the surface by cranes. The reconstruction of the bridge, which was 1.6 miles long and carried about 35 million vehicles annually, is expected to be a much longer process that could take several years.
The Army Corps of Engineers plans to reopen the full 700-foot-wide, 50-foot-deep span of the navigation channel after the initial 280-foot-wide channel is opened. This full reopening will bring access to the port back to its normal capacity. In the meantime, two smaller temporary channels have been cleared and opened to allow some small barges and other vessels to travel to and from the port. The Biden administration has allocated $60 million in emergency federal highway funds to cover the initial costs of the operation.
As officials work to clear the debris and restore full traffic to the port, they are emphasizing the importance of ensuring the safety of the salvage operation. Divers will be working amid swift currents and low visibility, making the task even more challenging. The Biden administration has promised that the federal government will cover the costs of rebuilding the bridge, a process that will likely require a significant amount of time and resources. The reopening of the shipping channel is a crucial step in restoring the operations of the Port of Baltimore, a key automobile hub that employs thousands of people.
