Baltimore port to open deeper channel, enabling some cargo ships to pass after bridge collapse
collapsed last month. The new channel will be 35 feet (12 meters) deep, which is a substantial increase over the three other temporary channels established in recent weeks. It puts the cleanup effort slightly ahead of schedule, as officials previously said they hoped to open a channel of that depth by the end of April.
Five of the seven cargo ships that have been stuck in Baltimore’s harbor will be able to pass through the new channel, including one loaded car carrier, officials said Tuesday, marking one month since the deadly disaster. Other ships are scheduled to enter the port, which normally processes more cars and farm equipment than any other in the country. “Four weeks ago, our way of life was dealt a huge blow with the collapse of the Key Bridge," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said during a news conference.
The cargo ship that toppled the bridge had lost power and veered off course shortly after leaving the Port of Baltimore bound for Sri Lanka. The Dali remains grounded amid the wreckage as crews work to remove massive pieces of mangled steel that came crashing down onto the ship’s deck. Six members of a roadwork crew plunged to their deaths in the collapse.
Four bodies have been recovered from the underwater wreckage while two remain missing. Officials said salvage crews have now cleared enough debris — over 2,900 tons so far — to open the new channel to “commercially essential vessels" from Thursday until the following Monday or Tuesday. Ships will be required to have a Maryland pilot on board and two tugboats escorting them through the channel.
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