Key Bridge Demolition: See Photos, Video As Explosives Free Trapped Ship

BALTIMORE, MD — Controlled explosives freed the ship trapped under the Francis Scott Key Bridge wreckage. The operation happened Monday at 5 p.m. after being postponed twice because of weather. The detonation was previously scheduled for Saturday and then Sunday.

A video of the detonation is posted here.

A hunk of steel truss until then lied atop the bow of the Dali, the container ship that toppled the bridge on March 26. The ensuing Key Bridge collapse killed six road workers. The nearly 1,000-foot ship still blocks the deep-water channel into the Port of Baltimore, preventing most port activity for the last seven weeks.

That's about to change, as the Dali will soon move away from the site and clear the harbor's channel. Officials still hope to reopen the full channel by the end of May.

The wreckage previously lying on the Dali measured about 500 feet long and weighed up to 600 tons, the Associated Press reported. The approach roadways on both sides of the bridge are still intact above the water, but they aren't blocking maritime traffic.

Nobody has been hurt during the recovery efforts, and the controlled demolition continued that streak.

“This is a best practice,” Gov. Wes Moore said at a Monday press conference, according to the AP. “Safety in this operation is our top priority.”

Salvage crews placed small explosive charges on strategic points of the bridge debris. The controlled and safe demolition precisely cut the bridge pieces at key points. The hunks of metal then fell into the water, making them easier for cranes to soon grab and barges to carry ashore.

The 21 crew members aboard the Dali remained below deck during the detonation, the AP said.

“We’ve taken into account the safety of those crew members from the very beginning,” U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath said, according to the AP. “They’re staying onboard because they’re part of the ship. They are necessary to keep the ship safe and operational.”

The AP said the Dali is scheduled to be refloated during high tide on Tuesday. Three or four tugboats will guide the ship to a nearby terminal, where it will likely remain for a few weeks for initial repairs.

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

Sound from the detonation lasted two to five seconds. It was no louder than a fireworks show.

Hearing protection was required within 2,000 yards of the ship. The Key Bridge Response Unified Command coordinated with the Maryland Department of Emergency Management to issue a cellular notification beforehand to nearby communities.

Officials highly discouraged gathering to watch the detonation. The Maryland State Police and allied law enforcement agencies patrolled the perimeter.

Attention now turns toward rebuilding the bridge. Officials estimated that the new crossing will open by fall 2028 and cost up to $1.9 billion.

Related:

• Last Key Bridge Victim's Body Found In Baltimore Wreckage: Officials
• Dali 'Unseaworthy' Baltimore Says Of Ship Owner In Key Bridge Crash
• Channel Partially Reopens, 200-Ton Tool Joins Key Bridge Cleanup
• 'You're Alive': Baker Among Last Drivers On Key Bridge Before Collapse
• Biden Views Key Bridge Collapse: 'Your Nation Has Your Back'
• Jobs In Limbo, Supply Chain Resilient After Baltimore Bridge Collapse
• 'I Didn't Think It Was Real': Residents React To Key Bridge Collapse