Share and Follow
A cargo ship that was stuck in Baltimore’s harbor for several weeks due to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge was finally released on Thursday. It was the first vessel to navigate through a new deep-water channel created to bypass the wreckage.
The Balsa 94, a bulk carrier bound for Saint John, Canada, was guided by two tug boats as it traversed the temporary 35-foot-deep channel. Following behind, two more commercial ships made their way through later in the day.
These routine voyages serve as a significant moment in the port city’s recovery following a tragic incident in which a large container ship lost control on March 26, crashing into the bridge and causing it to collapse. The bridge collapse resulted in the deaths of six construction workers who were working on the structure at the time.
Baltimore officials are still working to clear thousands of tons of mangled steel from the entrance to its harbor where the Dali, the cargo ship that caused the wreck, remains stuck on the debris.
Five vessels that have been trapped in the harbor for nearly a month with no way out are expected to finally leave through the new channel over the next few days before officials close it Monday or Tuesday.
The channel will remain closed through May 10 while crews work to free the Dali by removing steel spans that crashed onto its deck so that it can refloat and be guided back into the port.
The 50-foot-deep main channel is scheduled to reopen next month after the cargo ship is moved out — reestablishing maritime traffic to the busy port, which normally processes more cars and farming equipment than any other in the US.
The bridge collapse killed six Latin American immigrants who were part of a roadwork crew on break when the cargo ship rammed into it. Only four of their bodies have been recovered from the mess of steel and concrete under the water’s surface.
The disaster also hurt Baltimore’s economy and affected countless jobs of longshoremen, truckers and small business owners and the main channel’s reopening is expected to ease the impact.
With Post wires.
