BALTIMORE — Workers detonated a carefully placed chain of explosives Monday to destroy the largest remaining span of the Francis Scott Key Bridge that collapsed in Baltimore. With a thud, the torn steel truss crashed into the river below.
The explosive flashed orange and released a plume of black smoke when it detonated.
The longest truss from the stranded Dali container ship collapsed and slid off the ship’s bow, sending a wall of water sloshing back toward the ship.
This was a major step in rescuing the Dali, which had been trapped in the wreckage since losing power and colliding with one of the bridge supports shortly after departing from Baltimore on March 26. .
The collapse killed six construction workers and halted most maritime traffic through Baltimore’s busy port.
A controlled demolition will refloat the Dali, restore port traffic and provide relief to thousands of longshoremen, truck drivers and small business owners whose jobs were affected by the closure. Become.
Officials said the explosion went according to plan.
They say the next step in the dynamic cleanup process is to assess some of the remaining trusses on Dali’s bow and see if any underwater debris is preventing the ship from refloating and moving. said.
“It’s a lot like peeling an onion,” said Lt. Gen. Scott Spermon of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Officials expect to refloat the ship within days. Three or four tugboats will then guide it to a nearby port terminal. It will likely remain there for several weeks, undergo temporary repairs, and then be moved to a shipyard for more extensive repairs.
“This was a huge milestone in our progress,” Col. Estee Pinchacin, commander of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Baltimore District, said shortly after the explosion. She said crews do not anticipate needing to use any more explosives.
Captain David O’Connell, commander of the Port of Baltimore, said Dali’s crew remained on board during the explosion and no injuries or problems were reported.
The crew have not been allowed to leave the stranded ship since the accident. Officials said they were busy maintaining the ship and assisting investigators. Twenty of the crew members are Indian and one is Sri Lankan.
Engineers spent weeks preparing to use explosives to destroy the span, which is estimated to be 500 feet long and weigh up to 600 tons. Demolition was postponed until Sunday due to thunderstorms.
“This is best practice,” Gov. Wes Moore said at a Monday news conference, noting that no one has been injured during the cleanup so far. “Safety in this operation is our top priority.”
Officials said firefighters were stationed in the area in case there were any problematic sparks during the explosion.
In a video released this week, authorities said engineers were making precision cuts to control damage to the truss. They said the method allows for “surgical precision” and is one of the safest and most efficient ways to remove steel under high levels of tension. Hydraulic grabbers lift the broken section of steel onto the barge.
The National Transportation Safety Board and FBI are investigating the bridge collapse. Officials said the safety board’s investigation will focus on the ship’s electrical system.
Danish shipping giant Maersk chartered the Dali for a planned trip from Baltimore to Sri Lanka, but the ship never went far. The crew reported losing power and losing control of the steering system. A few minutes later, the ship crashed into a bridge.
State and federal authorities praised salvage crews and other members of the cleanup efforts for their efforts in recovering the bodies of the six construction workers.
The last body was discovered last week among the wreckage in the water. All of the victims were Latino immigrants who came to the United States in search of work. When the bridge was destroyed, they were working the night shift to fill in the holes.
Officials said work is on track to reopen the port’s 50-foot-deep draft channel by the end of May. Until then, crews have established a temporary channel in slightly shallower water. Officials say 365 commercial ships have passed through the port in recent weeks. The port typically handles more automobiles and agricultural equipment than any other port in the country.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Baltimore native whose father and brother served as mayor decades ago, likened the Key Bridge disaster to the overnight shelling of Fort McHenry in Baltimore. This bombardment long ago inspired Francis Scott Key to write The Star-Spangled Banner. She said both are a testament to Maryland’s resiliency.
Pelosi, a Democrat who represents California’s 11th Congressional District, attended Monday’s news conference with two of her relatives. She praised the collective response to this tragedy, with various government agencies coming together and responding quickly without sacrificing safety.
“We proved all night long that our flag is still there,” she said. “Baltimore is strong.”
