Nearly eight weeks after the container ship Dali rammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing the bridge to collapse and blocking the main channel to the Port of Baltimore, the ship has been successfully floated and returned to a berth in the port. The incident resulted in the death of six workers and disrupted the commerce of one of the nation’s key shipping hubs. The salvage and recovery operation involved over a thousand workers, various vessels, and extensive resources to clear the debris and restore access to and from the port.
Since the incident, temporary channels with varying depths have been opened to allow ships to access the port, but the main channel, which is 50 feet deep and 700 feet wide, needed to be reopened to fully restore the port’s usual traffic. Moving the 947-foot-long Dali was a complex and risky task due to the ship being pinned in place by mangled steel and container wreckage. Crews worked to remove containers, clear debris, and make the ship stable for the move. Last Monday, charges were detonated to remove a large section of the bridge that had been lying across the ship’s bow.
The final preparations to move the ship involved releasing mooring lines, lifting anchors, and removing water that had been pumped into the ship for stability. The ship began its journey back to the dock, guided by tugboats, early Monday morning. Governor Wes Moore of Maryland acknowledged the progress made in recovering from the collapse but emphasized that there is still work to be done. The crew of the Dali will remain on board at dockside, and Maersk, the shipping company that chartered the ship, will arrange for the removal of remaining cargo containers and delivery to customers through other means.
Federal investigators are still working to determine the cause of the accident and identify any parties at fault. A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board indicated that the Dali experienced electrical failures prior to the incident, which may have contributed to the loss of propulsion and steering capacity. The investigation is ongoing to gather more details about what led to the accident and to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The successful floating and return of the Dali marks a significant milestone in the efforts to recover from the bridge collapse and restore normal operations at the Port of Baltimore. The massive salvage and recovery operation involved a coordinated effort of various resources and personnel to clear debris, reopen access channels, and prepare the ship for relocation. Authorities have set a goal to fully reopen the main channel by the end of May, ensuring the port can resume its crucial role as a key shipping hub in the region.
