The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District expects to open a limited access channel, 280 feet wide and 35 feet deep, to the Port of Baltimore by the end of this month.
This is according to the latest update from the USACE which says the channel will support one-way traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore for barge container service and some roll-on/roll-off vessels that move automobiles and farm equipment to and from the port.
The USACE is working with local, state and federal partners to clear the wreckage along the Fort McHenry Channel following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The engineers are aiming to reopen the permanent, 700-foot-wide by 50-foot-deep federal navigation channel by the end of May, restoring port access to normal capacity.
“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,” said Lt Gen Scott A Spellmon, USACE commanding general. “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.”
He said these were ambitious timelines that could still be impacted by significant adverse weather conditions or changes in the complexity of the wreckage. “We are working quickly and safely to clear the channel and restore full service at this port that is so vital to the nation.”
The 9 962-TEU Dali crashed into a supporting pillar of the entire Francis Scott Key Bridge last month, causing it to collapse section by section into the Patapsco River.
According to media reports, as of April 11, approximately 38 containers had been removed from the vessel, which is critical to safely move it and reopen the Fort McHenry Channel.
