Officials in Baltimore plan to open a deeper channel for commercial ships to enter and exit the city’s port starting Thursday. It’s a significant step toward reopening a major shipping hub that has remained closed to much traffic since the construction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. collapsed last month.
The new canal will be 35 feet (12 meters) deep, significantly deeper than the other three temporary canals built in recent weeks. This puts cleanup efforts slightly ahead of schedule, as officials previously said they hoped to open a canal of that depth by the end of April.
Five of the seven cargo ships stuck in Baltimore Harbor will be able to pass through the new canal, including one loaded car carrier, officials said Tuesday, marking a month since the deadly disaster. More ships are planned to call at the port, which typically handles more cars and farm equipment than any other port in the country.
“Four weeks ago, our way of life took a huge hit with the Key Bridge collapse,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said during a news conference.
The cargo ship that collapsed the bridge lost speed and veered off course shortly after leaving the port of Baltimore, bound for Sri Lanka. Dali remains grounded among the rubble as crews work to remove huge chunks of twisted steel that fell onto the ship’s deck.
The collapse killed six members of the road work crew. Four bodies were recovered from the underwater debris, two were missing.
Officials said salvage crews had already cleared enough debris – more than 2,900 tons so far – to open the new channel to “commercially important vessels” from Thursday until next Monday or Tuesday. The vessels will be required to have a Maryland pilot on board and two tugboats to escort them through the canal.
The passage will then be closed again until about May 10 while crews work to remove steel from the Dali and refloat the ship, which will then be sailed back to port, officials said.
The port’s main channel, with a control depth of 50 feet (15 meters), is due to reopen next month after the ship is removed. This will essentially restore normal maritime traffic.
“We’re going to operate efficiently and safely, and we’re not going to choose between the two,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said during a news conference.
In a statement filed Monday, Baltimore’s mayor and City Council called for Daly’s owner and manager to be held accountable. brought to full responsibility due to the bridge collapse, which they say could have devastating economic consequences for the region. They said port, which predates the founding of the country, has long been an economic driver in Baltimore and the surrounding area. The loss of the bridge itself disrupted a major east coast freight route.
The statement came in response to previous petition on behalf of the two companies asked the court to limit their liability under the pre-Civil War provisions of the 1851 Maritime Act, a common procedure for such cases. A federal court in Maryland will ultimately decide who is liable and how much they owe.