First cargo ship passes through Key Bridge wreckage site in newly opened deep water channel

(New Limited Access Deep Draft Channel, has a controlling depth of 35 feet, a 300-foot horizontal clearance, a vertical clearance of 214 feet, and will facilitate some larger deep draft vessels, large marine tugs, and MARAD vessels through the Port of Baltimore. Infographic courtesy of Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command.)

It’s been one month since cargo ship Dali crashed into a support column of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, resulting in the catastrophic and complete collapse of that entire span.  The collapse, which occurred in the early morning hours of March 26 resulted in far-reaching impacts, not only for the families of those victims that died in the collapse – but also on the Port of Baltimore’s businesses and the city’s economic and physical infrastructure.  Earlier today, officials with the Unified Command announced that a fourth channel has been cleared and is operational and runs the length of the northeast side of the federal channel, providing additional access to commercially essential traffic.

The limited access deep draft channel, the Fort McHenry Limited Access Channel, has a controlling depth of a minimum of 35 feet, a 300-foot horizontal clearance, and a vertical clearance of 214 feet.

Also today, the first cargo ship passed through that newly opened deep-water channel

The Balsa 94, a bulk carrier sailing under a Panama flag, passed through the new 35-foot (12-meter) channel headed for St. John, Canada.  ~ The Associated Press

Balsa 94 ship passing by the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Balsa 94 has been stuck in Baltimore since the Key Bridge Collapse. The Fort McHenry Limited Access Channel opened this morning and Balsa 94 was the first to pass through. #KeyBridge #KeyBridgeCollapse #KeyBridgeNews pic.twitter.com/LnovU2t0Hn

— ByTheBayPhotos (@ByTheBayPhotos) April 25, 2024

Starting Monday, April 29, operations to remove the Cargo Ship Dali once and for all from the site of the collapse will require suspension of transits through the Fort McHenry Limited Access Channel. Once deemed safe, the channel will reopen for commercial traffic.

“We’re working to strike a balance between enabling temporary access to support commercial activity and undertaking necessary measures to fully reopen the Fort McHenry Channel,” said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. David O’Connell, Captain of the Port and Federal On-Scene Coordinator, Key Bridge Response 2024. “This limited access deep draft channel will provide a window for five of the deep draft vessels currently unable to depart the port as well as some smaller deep draft vessels to transit. Meanwhile, the Unified Command personnel continue to work full speed ahead to safely and efficiently finish operations.”

The current 2,000-yard safety zone around the Francis Scott Key Bridge remains in effect and is intended to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment. No vessel or person will be permitted to enter the safety zone without obtaining permission from the Captain of the Port or a designated representative.

The Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command includes the:

• U.S. Coast Guard  
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• Maryland Department of the Environment  
• Maryland Transportation Authority 
• Maryland State Police 
• Witt O’Brien’s representing Synergy Marine

The Balsa 94 is only one of several larger vessels that have been stranded in the Patapsco River and waiting to move through the site of the collapsed Key Bridge.  The Balsa 94 made its way through the newly opened deep-water channel earlier today aided by two tugboats that helped the cargo ship maneuver around the Dali, which as of this writing still remains grounded.

Related, also see:

• See live video feed of the Francis Scott Key Bridge salvage operations
• Fourth body recovered following Key Bridge collapse; FBI opens formal criminal investigation into ship that caused the destruction
• Latest updates on operations at Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse site, containers being removed (Images)
• First vessel passes through temporary channel carved out by Key Bridge Response Unified Command
• Officials will enforce ‘no drone zone’ extending for three miles around  Key Bridge
• FBI on Key Bridge destruction: ‘No information to suggest ties to terrorism at this time’
• Shocking video: Entire span of Baltimore’s ‘Key Bridge’ collapses into the river below after being struck by cargo ship

For more on today’s remarkable update about the first cargo ship making its way through the wreckage site of the collapsed Key Bridge, see the video accompanying this article.

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(Source:  The Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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