Channel Partially Reopens, Port Picking Up As Key Bridge Cleanup Gets Extra Power

BALTIMORE, MD — A third shipping channel opened Friday in Baltimore, allowing more traffic around the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge.

The channel, however, only provides "limited access for commercially essential vessels."

This channel is still far smaller than the original shipping lane. Port traffic remains limited as the cleanup continues.

The latest channel should return about 15 percent of normal commercial activity to the Port of Baltimore, officials said. The port has ground to a near halt since the cargo ship Dali lost power and crashed into the Key Bridge on March 26, killing four road workers and leaving another two presumed dead.

“This additional channel increases the types of vessels able to transit inbound and outbound the port of Baltimore,” stated U.S. Coast Guard Capt. David O’Connell, the captain of the port and the federal on-scene coordinator for the Key Bridge response.

Read all of Patch's Key Bridge collapse coverage here.

The Channel

This Fort Carroll Temporary Alternate Channel is 20 feet deep and 300 feet wide. It has a vertical clearance of 135 feet.

Officials have previously opened smaller channels for essential vessels. This marks the largest channel to date.

Crews expect to reopen the full channel by the end of May. The permanent federal navigation channel will be 700 feet wide and 50 feet deep.

“Every day, members of the Key Bridge Response Unified Command are working tirelessly to complete the steps necessary to support full access to the Fort McHenry channel,” O’Connell said in a press release. “The opening of this third channel represents continuous progress towards this overarching objective.”

Cleanup Update

Bridge debris and the wrecked ship still block much of the Patapsco River.

About 1,300 tons of steel had been salvaged so far without any worker injuries, the Associated Press reported Friday.

The cleanup is now adding extra power.

A 200-ton hydraulic salvage grab arrived at Sparrows Point this weekend. The grab made a weeklong barge journey from Galveston, Texas, to Baltimore.

The grab has a capacity of 1,000 metric tons. It "will be used to recover a significant portion of the 50,000 tons of wreckage," the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District said in a social media post.

The new grab comes in addition to the largest crane on the East Coast already on the scene.

Crews are also starting to clean up the wrecked ship.

Roughly 3,000 to 4,000 tons of steel and concrete landed on the Dali's deck, the AP said.

The AP said cranes have removed about 120 containers from the Dali. There are still about 20 left before workers can start removing bridge debris from the ship's bow. The Dali had about 4,000 containers aboard when it left Baltimore for Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Next Steps

Once freed, the AP said the Dali will be guided back into the Port of Baltimore.

Meanwhile, the Dali owner is trying to get owners of the cargo on board to cover some of the salvage costs.

The government is preparing for a legal battle.

The FBI said it boarded the Dali last week for “court authorized law enforcement activity.”

The City of Baltimore has hired two law firms to hold any wrongdoers accountable.

Leaders are developing preliminary plans to rebuild the Key Bridge, which carried Interstate 695 between the Dundalk and Curtis Bay areas. The bridge was the only hazardous materials route across the Baltimore harbor, making it crucial for truckers.

President Joe Biden (D) has promised that the federal government will pay all costs for the new bridge.

There have not yet been any firm announcements on a timeline for rebuilding the bridge.

Related:

• 4th Key Bridge Victim Found Dead In Baltimore Waters: Officials
• 'You're Alive': Baker Among Last Drivers On Key Bridge Before Collapse
• Biden Views Key Bridge Collapse: 'Your Nation Has Your Back'
• Channel Reopening Timeline Released, Key Bridge Cleanup Continues
• Jobs In Limbo, Supply Chain Resilient After Baltimore Bridge Collapse
• 'I Didn't Think It Was Real': Residents React To Key Bridge Collapse