After more than 2,000 people worked for nearly 11 weeks, the main shipping channel into the Port of Baltimore has fully reopened. The channel was clogged when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed. Officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced on Monday that the channel is now safe for ships at its original depth of 50 feet.
Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, the commanding general of the Corps, praised the unified efforts that reopened the channel to port operations. The channel, known as the Fort McHenry Federal Channel, is 700 feet wide and located in the Patapsco River. It had been partially closed since March 26, when the container ship Dali crashed into the Key Bridge.
The Dali, a ship as long as the Eiffel Tower is tall, lost power and hit the bridge, causing it to collapse and killing six workers. The ship became stuck in the debris, leaving about 50,000 tons of wreckage in the river. Cleaning up this mess was a huge task that required pilots, sonar experts, dump-truck drivers, divers, engineers, and many others. The operation used dozens of barges, tugboats, excavators, floating cranes, and even small explosives.
Temporary channels were opened to allow some ship traffic, but they were not as deep or wide as the Federal Channel. By late May, enough debris had been cleared to dislodge the Dali. The ship then made the 2.5-mile trip back to its terminal for further repairs. The Dali is expected to head to Norfolk, Virginia, soon for more repairs.
Investigators revealed that the Dali suffered two electrical failures on March 25, followed by a complete blackout on March 26. This blackout cut power to its engine and navigation equipment as it left the Port of Baltimore. The ship issued a mayday call just before hitting the bridge, allowing officers to close the bridge to traffic and likely saving lives.
ALSO READ: “Baltimore Bridge Collapse: Ship ‘Dali’ Set to be Refloated and Relocated”
The Dali, registered in Singapore, was heading for Sri Lanka at the time of the crash. It had around 4,700 containers and 1.5 million gallons of fuel and lubricant oil on board. The ship’s 21 crew members and two pilots were not injured in the collision. The crew has remained on board since the incident, according to Darrell Wilson from Synergy Marine, which manages the Dali.
While the temporary channels allowed some vessels to enter and exit the port, the reopening of the main channel is crucial. The Port of Baltimore is an important shipping hub, especially for the automobile industry, and employs 8,000 people.
Rebuilding the Key Bridge will take much longer, state officials estimate it will take four years and cost up to $1.9 billion to reconstruct the bridge.
Comments