Authorities have disclosed their plans for the chip central to the Baltimore bridge tragedy.
Six members of a roadwork crew lost their lives in the incident, with four bodies recovered and two still missing.
At the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, crews intend to refloat and remove the grounded Dali container ship within the next 10 days, enabling the resumption of maritime traffic through Baltimore’s port. The ship, which lost power and collided with one of the bridge’s supporting columns, has been stationary amid the wreckage since the March 26 collapse. Officials anticipate its removal by May 10, according to a recent news release from the Port of Baltimore.
While crews have identified “areas of interest” where they believe the bodies might be located, they have been unable to access them thus far, stated Maryland State Police Superintendent Roland Butler during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
“We’re working based on generalizations of areas where we think they should be, using sonar images and other mapping techniques,” he explained. Officials have refrained from providing an estimated timeline for the duration of the cleanup or when the families of the victims can expect resolution. To date, 3,300 tons of debris have been extracted from the Patapsco River.
Governor Wes Moore affirmed during the news conference that every available asset is being deployed to bring closure to the affected families. Last week, officials inaugurated a temporary deep-draft channel, enabling some stranded cargo ships to depart from the Port of Baltimore. Others entered the port through this channel, which was closed on Monday to allow crews to concentrate on extricating the Dali from the wreckage.
A significant section of the steel bridge collapsed onto the Dali’s bow, causing damage to the ship and destroying some of its containers. Officials stated that the next major focus in the cleanup process is removing these bridge pieces. Moore described this task as “remarkably complicated,” as dividing the spans into shorter sections could jeopardize the stability of other wreckage pieces.
He noted that crews are employing the largest hydraulic grabber in the country to aid in this endeavor. Upon the Dali’s return to port, officials anticipate opening a 45-foot channel by May 10 to accommodate more large cargo ships. They aim to fully restore the port’s 50-foot main channel by the end of May.
The collapse has impacted thousands of longshoremen, truckers, and small business owners, leading local and state officials to prioritize the full reopening of the port to alleviate the economic repercussions. Various assistance programs have been established for unemployed workers and others affected by the closure.