Channel Reopening Timeline Released, Key Bridge Cleanup Continues

BALTIMORE, MD — Officials expect to fully reopen Baltimore's channel by the end of May. That will be about two months after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed on March 26, killing two workers and leaving four others presumed dead in the wreckage.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is leading the clean-up efforts in the Patapsco River, where bridge debris still prevents large ships from entering the Port of Baltimore.

"Thanks to the exhaustive work of the unified command during the last two weeks, including underwater surveys and detailed structural analysis of the wreckage, we’ve developed a better understanding of the immense and complex work that lies ahead," Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon, Army Corps of Engineers commanding general, said in a Thursday press release announcing the timeline. "A fully opened federal channel remains our primary goal, and we will carry out this work with care and precision, with safety as our chief priority."

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

The permanent federal navigation channel will be 700 feet wide and 50 feet deep.

The Army Corps of Engineers expects to open a limited-access channel by the end of April. This would be 280 feet wide and 35 feet deep. It would support one-way traffic in and out of the port for barge container service and some roll-on/roll-off vessels that transport automobiles and farm equipment.

"These are ambitious timelines that may still be impacted by significant adverse weather conditions or changes in the complexity of the wreckage," Spellmon said. "We are working quickly and safely to clear the channel and restore full service at this port that is so vital to the nation. At the same time, we continue to keep faith with the families of the missing and are working with our partners to help locate and recover their loved ones."

Crews already opened a smaller temporary channel this week. That can only support smaller vessels that require less water depth. It is 11 feet deep, 264 feet wide and has a vertical clearance of 96 feet.

The first vessel passed through the temporary channel on Monday. It was a jet fuel barge heading to Delaware's Dover Air Force Base. This initial temporary channel is primarily for vessels helping with the cleanup, however.

In the meantime, Tradepoint Atlantic will pick up some of the displaced shipping. The Sparrows Point terminal, which is not blocked by the bridge collapse, will unload about 10,000 vehicles in the next two weeks.

"We need to move with utmost speed," Gov. Wes Moore said in a press release. "This work is complex. But by standing united, working together, and moving in partnership, we will continue to prove the full meaning of Maryland Tough and Baltimore Strong."

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said the timeline is "ambitious" but "critically important."

"Setting this goal is critically important for those families that are still waiting to bring loved ones home and the thousands of Baltimoreans and Marylanders who rely on the Port," Scott said in a statement. "This timeline makes our mission to support the workers and businesses impacted in the interim all that much more important, to ensure they get what’s needed between now and the channels opening."

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski called the cleanup "incredibly difficult, complicated and dangerous." He pledged any resources necessary to help laid-off port workers secure unemployment insurance, also called UI.

"Our team has deployed two mobile career centers to help workers file UI claims and access other workforce related services, and we are working closely with the SBA to facilitate small business access to their recovery services," Olszewski said in a release. "We are working closely with the Biden-Harris Administration, Governor Moore and our local partners to ensure all available resources are deployed to help keep working people on their feet during this challenging time. I’m also grateful to the General Assembly for their work to pass legislation to provide relief."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.