The Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore Harbor collapsed on March 26, causing a blockage in the shipping channel leading to the Port of Baltimore. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that a partial reopening of the channel is expected by the end of April, with full traffic restoration by late May. The channel will be opened in stages, with a 280-foot-wide, 35-foot-deep channel allowing for one-way traffic initially, followed by the full 700-foot-wide, 50-foot-deep span of the navigation channel a month later. The port is a key automobile hub employing 8,000 people, and the reopening is considered vital for its operations.
President Biden is scheduled to visit the site of the wreckage on Friday, where he will go on an aerial tour and receive a briefing on the response and recovery efforts. He is also expected to meet with the loved ones of the six construction workers who fell into the river during the collapse and are presumed dead. Responders have been conducting underwater surveys and structural analysis of the wreckage to assess the work needed to clear the debris from the channel. Divers will have to cut the metal and concrete structures on the riverbed into manageable pieces amidst swift currents and low visibility.
Temporary channels at depths of 11 and 14 feet had been previously cleared to allow small barges and vessels access to the port. However, clearing the debris blocking the main shipping channel will be a complex and potentially dangerous underwater salvage operation. Divers will need to work to remove the debris, which will then be hoisted to the surface by cranes. The reconstruction of the bridge is expected to be a much longer process that could take several years, with the Biden administration allocating $60 million in emergency federal highway funds for the initial costs of what will likely be a more expensive operation.
The reopening of the shipping channel is crucial for the Port of Baltimore, which serves as a vital hub for the transportation of automobiles and employs thousands of people. The partial reopening of the channel by the end of April and full traffic restoration by late May are expected to help alleviate the impact of the bridge collapse on port operations. Divers and responders are working to clear the debris from the channel, which requires a complex salvage operation due to the nature of the collapsed bridge structures on the riverbed. President Biden’s visit to the site will provide him with a firsthand look at the magnitude of the wreckage and an opportunity to meet with the families affected by the collapse.
