Officials in Baltimore, USA, have announced the opening of a temporary shipping route following the collapse of a significant bridge, which resulted in the suspension of shipments to and from one of the nation’s busiest ports after the Dali cargo ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge last Tuesday, leading to six fatalities.
In the aftermath, a concerted effort has been made to clear the water of debris, including the removal of a 200-ton section of the bridge this past Sunday. The clean-up operation has involved segmenting the bridge debris for easier removal, with the aid of cranes, including the Chesapeake 1000, the largest on the eastern US seaboard.
A taskforce named the Key Bridge Response has been established to facilitate the recovery process. They have outlined plans to open a temporary channel on the bridge’s north-east side for essential commercial vessels as part of a graduated strategy to fully reopen the main channel. Captain David O’Connell, contributing to the coordination efforts, emphasized the importance of this alternative route in maintaining marine traffic and aiding the gradual reopening of the Port of Baltimore.
- Container Ship’s Collision with Baltimore Bridge Triggers Fatal Collapse and Economic Concerns
- Container Ship’s Collision with Baltimore Bridge Triggers Fatal Collapse and Economic Concerns
A safety zone extending 2,000 yards around the wreckage has been enforced, barring unauthorized access. The Port of Baltimore serves as a crucial hub for both the state of Maryland and international trade, with experts suggesting the port might take a month to become operational again and possibly years for the bridge to be rebuilt. The investigation into the collapse is expected to be lengthy.
The US government has allocated $60 million in emergency funds to Maryland in response to the collapse, with President Joe Biden expressing anticipation for Congress’s support for further reconstruction funding. Biden plans to visit Baltimore in the coming week.
The Dali container vessel, comparable in length to the Eiffel Tower, and its 22-member crew, all from India, remain in the vicinity, unscathed but stranded. The details concerning the crew’s rescue remain uncertain.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore has indicated that the salvage and recovery operations are complex, hindered by significant steel weight on the ship and the difficulty divers face due to the debris-laden waters of the Patapsco River.
The tragic incident also impacted eight construction workers on the bridge during the collision, with two rescued, two recovered, and four presumed dead, with search efforts challenged by the submerged bridge debris. Isabel Franco, whose husband Jose Mynor Lopez is among the missing, shared her husband’s dedication to his family with CBS News.
