Baltimore Ship Canal Fully Reopens After Bridge Collapses

BALTIMORE (AP) — The main shipping channel leading to Baltimore Harbor has fully reopened to its original depth and width after the March 26 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge blocked most shipping traffic towards the port.

Authorities announced the full reopening in a press release Monday evening. This follows a massive cleanup effort in which crews removed approximately 50,000 tons of steel and concrete from the Patapsco River.

The canal was blocked by the wreckage of the fallen bridge, which collapsed after a container ship lost power and crashed into one of its support columns, sending six members of a roadworks crew plunge to their death. All of the victims were Latino immigrants working night shifts to fill potholes on the bridge.

The Port of Baltimore, which handles more cars and farm equipment than any other port in the country, was closed for several weeks while debris was removed. Crews have been able to gradually reopen portions of the deep-draft canal, restoring some commercial traffic in recent weeks.

On May 20, the wayward cargo ship Dali was refloated and returned to port. The ship had been stuck amid the wreckage for nearly two months, with a huge steel truss draped over its damaged bow.

After moving the Dali, crews opened a channel 50 feet (15 meters) deep and 400 feet (122 meters) wide. The federal shipping channel is 700 feet (213 meters) wide, meaning two-way traffic can resume, officials said. They said other additional safety requirements were also lifted due to the increased width.

Thousands of longshoremen, truckers and small business owners saw their jobs affected by the collapse, prompting local and state officials to prioritize reopening the port and restoring its traffic to capacity normal in the hope of mitigating the economic knock-on effects.

Monday’s announcement means trade that relies on the busy port can begin to resume.

Officials said a total of 56 federal, state and local agencies participated in the rescue operations, including approximately 500 specialists from around the world who operated a fleet of 18 barges, 22 tugboats, 13 floating cranes, 10 excavators and four boats investigation.

“I can’t overstate how proud I am of our team,” said Col. Estee Pinchasin, Baltimore District commander for the Army Corps of Engineers. “It was incredible to see so many people from different sectors of our government, across our country and around the world, come together as Unified Command and accomplish so much in such a short time. »

In a statement Monday, Pinchasin also acknowledged the loss of the victims’ families.

“There wasn’t a day that went by that we didn’t think about them all, and that kept us going,” she said.

The Dali lost power shortly after leaving Baltimore for Sri Lanka in the early hours of March 26. A National Transportation Safety Board investigation found that he experienced power outages before beginning his journey, but the exact causes of the electrical problems remain to be determined. The FBI is also conducting a criminal investigation into the circumstances leading to the collapse.

Officials have said they hope to rebuild the bridge by 2028.