The first section of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge was scheduled to be lifted from the Patapsco River in Maryland on Saturday with the arrival of a large crane fleet, officials said.
“I’m really proud to announce that today the governor said we’re going to conduct the first lift on a portion of the bridge,” U.S. Coast Guard Maj. Gen. Shannon Gilreath said at a press conference Saturday afternoon.
This is the first step toward reopening the Port of Baltimore following Tuesday’s bridge collapse involving a Singapore-based Dari tanker that lost power shortly after leaving the port. Six construction workers were killed in the disaster as they repaired a hole in a main thoroughfare.
Mr Gilreath said reopening the port remained a “top priority”.
Divers are evaluating how sections of the bridge can be cut for future lifts.
“We’re going to act as quickly as possible,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told reporters.
“We’re going to keep our first responders safe, and we’re not going to compromise on each other.”
“Our economy depends on the Port of Baltimore, and the Port of Baltimore depends on shipping traffic,” he added.
The Chesapeake 1000 crane barge, which can lift 1,000 tons and is the largest vessel of its kind on the East Coast, arrived Friday morning.
The ship was built by the CIA in 1972 to recover the Soviet Golf II ballistic missile submarine (3,000 tons) that sank in 1968. According to the U.S. Naval Research Institute.
This was joined by the Ferrel, a 200 ton lift rotating crane barge, and the Oyster Bay, a 150 ton lift crane barge. Contract with US Navy.
Over the next five days, seven more cranes, 10 tugs and nine barges are expected to arrive at the scene to remove the debris and ship. According to the agency in charge of the response.
The bridge debris on the bow of the 213-million-pound Dali (almost as long as the Eiffel Tower) weighs 4,000 tons.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said at a briefing earlier this week that part of the span had pushed the ship’s bow into the bottom of the port.
President Biden said Friday that he plans to visit the sites of the devastation next week, although no specific dates were given.
He confirmed the visit to reporters Thursday after a star-studded fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall with former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
Officials said it could take several more weeks to clear enough debris to reopen the vital port, and it was unclear how long it would take to replace the bridge.
Experts believe that the key bridge, designed in the 1970s, there was no alarm system or Fender, both of which have become standard in recent decades.
Fenders cushion the impact, but The warning system can stop traffic or at least alert drivers, Politico reported.
“Protection systems are not just a good idea, they should be mandatory,” Roberto Leon, a professor of structural engineering and materials at Virginia Tech, told the magazine.
As it happened, police were stationed near the bridge and stopped traffic when Dali’s mayday call came through, otherwise the death toll could have been even higher.
“We will consider all options going forward,” Moore said in response to a question about installing a warning system.
“There is nothing I would not do to ensure the safety of the people of my state.”
Crews continued to assess the damage and monitor the oil spill as of Friday, reports said.
The tanker was carrying 764 tons of hazardous materials, including corrosive materials, flammable materials and lithium-ion batteries, some of which were dumped at the port.
Video released by the National Transportation Safety Board showed hazardous materials inspectors and technicians aboard the Dali on Thursday inspecting extensive damage on board and downloading the ship’s navigation data. .
The cause of the ship’s power outage that ultimately led to the crash is still under investigation, but one of the factors being considered is fuel contamination.
Expert told NBC News It’s an “open secret” that fuel pollution plagues the shipping industry, but it often occurs at sea, where it can be safely dealt with.
The Dali cargo ship had not called for refueling since February 20, according to an NBC analysis.
The ship has made two port calls in China and then South Korea, and while no pollution has been reported from either country, there is no evidence that the ship stopped again for refueling during its passage through the Panama Canal, New York, Virginia, and Baltimore. do not have.
Experts say the Dali needed more fuel to reach its next destination, Sri Lanka.
Jonathan Arnault, CEO of FuelTrust, told NBC that the ship may have been running on fuel from the bottom of its tanks, where heavy pollutants settle out during the power outage.
“The smell of burning fuel was everywhere in the engine room and it was pitch black,” one crew member said.
