The large container ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, closing the mouth of the Port of Baltimore, was refloated and began sailing to a temporary berth for repairs on Monday.
The Singapore-registered MV Dhavi lifted off the remains of the pier of the Francis Scott Quay Bridge, moving on Monday for the first time since March 26 after the bridge collapsed. The Davy, traveling at less than 1 mile per hour, is expected to be docked at a marine terminal in Boston Harbor within three hours for initial repairs.
The ship had been trapped under the bridge’s wreckage until last week, when engineers detonated explosives that had been painstakingly placed at key joints in the truss structure in previous weeks, destroying the wreckage. . The wreckage has been removed, an underwater survey for hidden dangers completed, and preparations for today’s move began on Sunday, with tugboats on standby, anchors and lines holding the ship in place cut and ballast removed. Some of the 1.25 million gallons of water within was cut off. It is pumped out to regain buoyancy.
BALTIMORE, MD – MAY 20: In this aerial photo, tugboats guide the damaged container ship Dali to Seagirt Marine Terminal on May 20, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. On March 26, the Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the bridge to collapse, killing six construction workers, and shutting down the Patapsco River and the Port of Baltimore for several weeks. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – MAY 20: In this aerial photo, tugboats guide the damaged container ship Dali to Seagirt Marine Terminal on May 20, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. On March 26, the Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the bridge to collapse, killing six construction workers, and shutting down the Patapsco River and the Port of Baltimore for several weeks. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Tugboats escort the cargo ship Dali after it is refloated in Baltimore, Monday, May 20, 2024. The ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, causing the bridge to collapse and killing six people. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
A section of Interstate 695 still hangs over the bow of the Dali after a planned explosion on May 13, 2024, that severed part of the steel truss of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The move began shortly before high tide at 5:30 ET on Monday morning, when a group of tugboats were seen pulling the MV Davi north. Once alongside, the container is removed for transfer to another ship or returned to its owner, where remedial repairs begin. Once these initial repairs are complete, MV Davi will be moved by tugboat or under its own power to a larger shipbuilding facility where it can be permanently repaired and recommissioned.
Meanwhile, the Port of Baltimore moves closer to fully reopening after a bridge collapse in March, with the Maryland-led Major Bridges Task Force group predicting the 50-foot dredged Federal Channel will be reopened by the end of the month. He said that
This is critical as some large ships have reportedly been stuck in the port for almost two months while other shallow waterways have been opened for emergency traffic.
Even if that is accomplished, the long-term problem remains that one of the major bridges on the East Coast is missing, and by all accounts it may take years to complete its replacement.
Great photos of the Baltimore Bridge debris removal: https://t.co/Fuwgbolrhu
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) May 14, 2024
