Baltimore Port key channel is fully operational
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said a survey on Monday certified the riverbed as safe for transit
Commercial maritime transit through the Port of Baltimore has been restored after the removal of 50,000 tons of debris from the March 26 collapse of the Key Bridge, Reuters reports citing the U.S. federal agencies.
The cargo ship Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March in Baltimore, killing six people and paralyzing a major transportation artery for the U.S. Northeast. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said a survey on Monday certified the riverbed as safe for transit and said the Fort McHenry Federal Channel had been restored to its original operational dimensions of 700 feet wide and 50 feet deep.
The fully operational channel will allow two-way traffic and the ending of the additional safety requirements that were required because of temporary reduced channel width.
The U.S. Army Corps and U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving worked to clear Key Bridge wreckage for more than two months before the final piece was removed last week. The Dali was safely moved on May 20.
More than 1,500 individual responders along with 500 specialists from around the world operated a fleet of boats during the operation which involved 56 federal, state, and local agencies.
Surveying and removal of steel at and below the 50-foot mud-line will continue to ensure future dredging operations are not impacted and wreckage will continue to be transported to Sparrows Point for follow-on processing.
