Current:Home > MarketsBaltimore shipping channel fully reopens after bridge collapse -TradeWisdom
Baltimore shipping channel fully reopens after bridge collapse
View
Date:2025-04-18 21:03:18
BALTIMORE (AP) — The main shipping channel into Baltimore’s port has fully reopened to its original depth and width following the March 26 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which blocked most maritime traffic into the harbor.
Officials announced the full reopening in a news release Monday evening. It comes after a massive cleanup effort as crews removed an estimated 50,000 tons of steel and concrete from the Patapsco River.
The channel was blocked by wreckage of the fallen bridge, which collapsed after a container ship lost power and crashed into one of its supporting columns, sending six members of a roadwork crew plunging to their deaths. All of the victims were Latino immigrants working an overnight shift to fill potholes on the bridge.
The Port of Baltimore, which processes more cars and farm equipment than any other in the country, was effectively closed for several weeks while the wreckage was removed. Crews were able to reopen portions of the deep-draft channel in phases, restoring some commercial traffic in recent weeks.
On May 20, the wayward cargo ship Dali was refloated and guided back to port. The vessel had been stuck amid the wreckage for almost two months, with a massive steel truss draped across its damaged bow.
After the Dali was moved, crews opened a channel that was 50 feet (15 meters) deep and 400 feet (122 meters) wide. The full federal shipping channel is 700 feet (213 meters) wide, which means two-way traffic can resume, officials said. They said other additional safety requirements have also been lifted because of the increased width.
Thousands of longshoremen, truckers and small business owners have seen their jobs impacted by the collapse, prompting local and state officials to prioritize reopening the port and restoring its traffic to normal capacity in hopes of easing the economic ripple effects.
The announcement Monday means the commerce that depends on the busy port can begin ramping back up.
Officials said a total of 56 federal, state and local agencies participated in the salvage operations, including about 500 specialists from around the world who operated a fleet of 18 barges, 22 tugboats, 13 floating cranes, 10 excavators and four survey boats.
“I cannot overstate how proud I am of our team,” said Col. Estee Pinchasin, Baltimore district commander for the Army Corps of Engineers. “It was incredible seeing so many people from different parts of our government, from around our country and all over the world, come together in the Unified Command and accomplish so much in this amount of time.”
In a statement Monday, Pinchasin also acknowledged the loss of the victims’ families.
“Not a day went by that we didn’t think about all of them, 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 it experienced power outages before starting its voyage, but the exact causes of the electrical issues have yet to be determined. The FBI is also conducting a criminal investigation into the circumstances leading up to the collapse.
Officials have said they hope to rebuild the bridge by 2028.
veryGood! (7)
Related
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- California dog walker injured by mountain lion trying to attack small pet
- Taylor Swift is a billionaire: How Eras tour, concert film helped make her first billion
- Kristen Stewart Shares Update on Wedding Plans With Fiancée Dylan Meyer—and Guy Fieri
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- 'Golden Bachelor' Episode 5 recap: Gerry Turner, reluctant heartbreaker, picks his final 3
- NYC protesters demand Israeli cease-fire, at least 200 detained after filling Grand Central station
- A new cure for sickle cell disease may be coming. Health advisers will review it next week
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- 2 pro golfers suspended for betting on PGA Tour events
Ranking
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- 11 Spook-tacular Sales To Shop This Weekend: Aerie, Chewy, Madewell, Nordstrom Rack, Ulta & More
- 11 Spook-tacular Sales To Shop This Weekend: Aerie, Chewy, Madewell, Nordstrom Rack, Ulta & More
- Jail inmate fatally stabbed in courthouse while waiting to appear before judge
- Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
- Horoscopes Today, October 26, 2023
- Court rules Carnival Cruises was negligent during COVID-19 outbreak linked to hundreds of cases
- 2 dead in Mozambique protests over local election results, watchdog says. Police say 70 arrested
Recommendation
Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
2023 World Series predictions: Rangers can win first championship in franchise history
Russia hikes interest rate for 4th time this year as inflation persists
Pregnant Kailyn Lowry Reveals She Was Considering This Kardashian-Jenner Baby Name
US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
Abercrombie & Fitch slapped with lawsuit alleging sexual abuse of its male models under former CEO
Senate energy panel leaders from both parties press for Gulf oil lease sale to go on, despite ruling
A Pennsylvania coroner wants an officer charged in a driver’s shooting death. A prosecutor disagrees