Baltimore, MD—

Teams of engineers were working Saturday on the complex task of cutting and lifting the first section of twisted steel from the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland.

A massive cargo ship hit one of the bridge’s main supports on Tuesday, causing the bridge to collapse into the Patapsco River.

Sparks could be seen coming from a bent, crumpled section of steel on Saturday afternoon. The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that work has begun to dismantle the partially collapsed structure.

Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gillies said Saturday that crews were carefully measuring and cutting the steel on the broken bridge and then installing straps so it could be hoisted onto a barge and floated away.

There are seven floating cranes (including one large floating crane capable of lifting 1,000 tons), 10 tugboats, nine barges, eight salvage vessels and five Coast Guard vessels in the waters southeast of Baltimore.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said each action affects what happens next and how long it ultimately takes to clear all the debris and reopen shipping lanes and the blocked Port of Baltimore.

“I can’t stress enough the importance of today and the first movement of this bridge and the wreckage. It’s going to be a very complex process,” Moore said.

Longtime Baltimore resident Randy Lichtenberg and others were undeterred by the morning’s chilly weather, taking photos with their phones or simply looking at pieces of the bridge in silence, including steel trusses that weighed 4,000 tons.

“I wouldn’t want to be in that water. It must be cold in there. It’s a tough job,” Lichtenberg said at a spot on the river called Sparrow Point.

Shock had given way to sadness when he woke up Tuesday morning to video of what he said was an iconic part of Baltimore’s skyline falling into the water.

“It never hits you that fast. It’s unbelievable,” Lichtenberg said.

what’s next

One of the first goals of the water crew is to open smaller auxiliary vessel channels so that tugboats and other small barges can move freely. Crews also hope to stabilize the scene so divers can continue the search for the four missing workers who are presumed dead.

Two workers were rescued from the water and the bodies of two others were pulled from a pickup truck that fell and submerged in the river in the hours after the bridge collapsed early Tuesday. They have been filling potholes on the bridge, and while police were able to block traffic after the boat sent out a distress call, they have been unable to contact construction crews from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

The crew of the cargo ship Dali, managed by Synergy Marine Group, remained on board, surrounded by debris from the bridge. They are safe and being interviewed. They are keeping the ship moving because once more debris is cleared, they will be needed to remove it from the channel. The vessel is owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and chartered by Danish shipping giant Maersk.

The collision and collapse appear to have occurred after the ship lost power. Federal and state investigators are still trying to determine the cause.

To allay concerns about possible pollution from the accident, Adam Ortiz, administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Mid-Atlantic Region, said there was no indication that there were substances in the water that were actively released by ships or that were harmful to human health.

rebuild bridges, economy

Officials are also trying to figure out how to deal with the economic impact of port closures and the severing of major highway connections. Completed in 1977, the bridge connects Interstate 695 around southeast Baltimore.

Maryland transportation officials are planning to rebuild the bridge, promising to consider innovative designs or construction materials in hopes of shortening a project that could take years.

President Joe Biden’s administration has approved $60 million in emergency aid and pledged that the federal government will cover the entire cost of rebuilding.

Vessel traffic remains suspended at the Port of Baltimore, but the Maryland Ports Authority said trucks are still being processed at the marine terminal.

The loss of a road that carries 30,000 vehicles a day and port disruptions would not only affect thousands of longshoremen and commuters, but also American consumers, who could feel the impact of shipping delays. The port handles more automobiles and farm equipment than any other facility in the United States.