Baltimore Key Bridge collapse: Work to restore Federal Channel expected to finish between June 8-10
BALTIMORE - Work to restore the Baltimore Harbor’s 700-foot wide and 50-foot-deep channel is projected to conclude between June 8 and 10.
The Federal Channel has been closed since the cargo ship Dali slammed into one of the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s supporting columns causing it to collapse on March 26.
The collapse killed six construction workers and halted most maritime traffic through Baltimore’s busy port.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were able to partially reopen the Federal Channel to port operations last month and are still on target to fully reopen it during, or just after, the weekend.
Current specs of Unified Commands "limited access channel" (50-foot depth and 400-foot width) allow shipping traffic to enter/exit Port of Baltimore, and these final cuts and lifts are important next step to re-opening the full 700-foot width of the
The work involved clearing wreckage and digging out the bottom cord of the remaining truss, cutting it, and lifting it from the water.
"We are not taking our foot off the gas," said Col. Estee S. Pinchasin, USACE, Baltimore District commander in May. "We are pushing forward as quickly and safely as possible to reach 700 feet and ensuring we remove all wreckage to prevent any impact to future navigation."