Salvage crews have begun the process of removing containers from the deck of the cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. This is a crucial step towards fully reopening one of the nation’s main shipping lanes. The removal of the containers is ongoing and will continue throughout the week as weather permits. Crews are also working on removing sections of the bridge that are lying across the ship’s bow to eventually allow it to move.
In total, 32 vessels have passed through temporary channels on either side of the wreckage. The Unified Command is working on opening the channel to larger commercial traffic by removing enough debris. U.S. Coast Guard Capt. David O’Connell stated that progress is being made on the main lines of effort to clear the channel and open it to maritime traffic. The Dali cargo ship has been trapped under mangled steel in the Patapsco River since the collision on March 26, which resulted in the tragic deaths of six workers.
President Joe Biden recently took a helicopter tour of the site and met with the families of the victims. The workers who were killed in the incident were immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador who were filling potholes on the bridge when it collapsed in the middle of the night. While two men were rescued and the bodies of three others were recovered, the search for the remaining victims is ongoing. Officials have set up a temporary alternate channel for vessels involved in clearing debris, with plans to open a limited-access channel for certain types of ships and vessels by the end of April.
The Army Corps of Engineers, along with a team of salvage divers and cranes, are on-site to assist in cutting out sections of the bridge and removing them from the waterway. The goal is to restore normal capacity to Baltimore’s port by May 31, and efforts are being made to expedite the process. The White House has provided updates on the timeline for reopening the shipping lane, as well as the progress being made in the salvage operations. The removal of debris and containers from the ship is a complex and challenging task, but crews are working diligently to ensure the safe and efficient reopening of the key waterway.
