Baltimore Bridge Collapse Site Preparing Alternate Channel for Important Ships

The U.S. Coast Guard is preparing a temporary backup channel for commercially important vessels near Baltimore’s collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge as part of a phased opening of the main channel to the vital port, officials said.

Crews have begun removing steel and concrete at the site in a complex job after the bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River last week, killing one person after a freighter collision. On Sunday, dive teams surveyed parts of the bridge and inspected the vessel, and workers on lifts used torches to cut through the surface of the twisted steel superstructure.

The port captain is preparing to establish a temporary channel on the northeast side of the main channel. It has a controlled depth of 11 feet (more than 3 meters), a horizontal clearance of 80 meters and a vertical clearance of 96 feet (29 meters), officials said. A video released Sunday showed the Coast Guard throwing the buoy into the water.

“This will mark an important first step on the road to reopening the Port of Baltimore,” Capt. David O’Connell, federal on-site response coordinator, said in a statement Sunday night. “By opening this alternate route, we will support marine traffic into Baltimore.”

On Monday, the Small Business Administration will open a center in Dundalk, Maryland, to help small businesses obtain loans to help them cope with losses caused by bridge collapses.

On March 26, the freighter Dali lost power and control, causing the bridge to collapse. They called for help, giving police just enough time to stop the vehicles from getting onto the bridge, but not enough time for the crew to evacuate. Eight workers left the building.

Two workers survived, two bodies were found in a submerged pickup truck and four others were presumed dead. Weather conditions and tangled debris underwater made it extremely dangerous for divers to search for their bodies.

Dali is managed by Synergy Marine Group and owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd. Danish shipping giant Maersk chartered the Dali, which lost power on its way out of port and hit one of the bridge’s support columns.

In addition to clearing the channel to reopen the port, officials are trying to determine how to rebuild the bridge. Completed in 1977, the bridge connects Interstate 695 around southeast Baltimore and is the center of the city’s centuries-old maritime culture.

Congress is expected to consider an aid package to help people who have lost their jobs or businesses due to the prolonged closure of the Port of Baltimore. The port handles more automobiles and farm equipment than any other facility in the United States.