The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has announced a tentative schedule for opening limited access channels to restore safe navigation in and out of the country. port of baltimore After the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, cutting off a vital waterway.
The USACE announced plans to open the 80-foot-wide, 35-foot-deep channel by the end of April. The route would provide one-way traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore for barge container service and some vessels carrying automobiles and agricultural equipment.
USACE also said it is working to reopen the entire 700-foot-wide, 50-foot-deep shipping channel by the end of May to return access to the port to normal capacity.
“Thanks to the joint force’s intensive work over the past two weeks, including underwater surveys and detailed structural analysis of the wreckage, we have gained a better understanding of the enormous and complex task that lies ahead,” said Lt. Gen. Stated. USACE Commander Scott A. Spermon said in a press release. “Fully opening federal channels is our primary goal, and we will accomplish this task carefully and accurately with safety as our top priority.”
Baltimore Bridge collapse: Man who crossed just before disaster: “I felt really lucky”
The Francis Scott Key Bridge is seen after it collapsed into the water early Tuesday morning, March 26, in Baltimore. The cargo ship collided with the bridge’s support beam, causing the bridge to fall into the Patapsco River. (Baltimore Fire Rescue)
Lt. Gen. Spelmon said the plans were “ambitious” and warned that things like bad weather and changing complexity of the wreckage could prolong the work.
He said the USACE is also working diligently to locate and recover the two victims missing in the wreckage.
Cargo ship sinks on Baltimore Bridge in 2016, involved in accident
At around 1:30 a.m. on March 26, the bridge collapsed, killing six construction workers who were filling holes in the bridge. The huge cargo ship Dali collided with the supports of the Key Bridge, causing it to collapse. It flows almost instantly into the Patapsco River.
Police were able to stop traffic to the bridge shortly before the accident.
Before the bridge collapse, the Port of Baltimore contributed about $15 million. daily economic activities.
Part of the damaged and collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge can be seen in the Port of Baltimore on Monday. (Caitlin Newman/Baltimore Banner, via AP)
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the port is the busiest in the united states According to Maryland Port Authority data, motor vehicle transportation will handle more than 750,000 vehicles in 2023. It is also the largest port in the United States, handling not only agricultural products but also agricultural and construction equipment.
FOX Business’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.
