On Sunday, personnel began removing shipping containers from the vessel Dali, a "critical step" in Francis Scott Key Bridge recovery.
They can remove a critical section of the roadway above the containers on the 980-foot, Singapore-flagged ship after it lost power and hit the bridge on March 26.
"Removing containers allows safe access to remove the Key Bridge pieces across the ship's bow, reducing weight and allowing ship movement," Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command announced Sunday.
Unified Command includes first responders, recovery personnel, and organizations redeveloping the bridge and reopening the canal. The Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, and Maryland State Police are examples.
Three of six roadway workers on the bridge when it fell have been found dead, while the other three are believed dead. Government officials say moving the ship is crucial to reopening the port to some traffic. "The removal of these containers is a critical step required to safely move the [Merchant Vessel] Dali and eventually fully re-open the Fort McHenry Channel," Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command announced Sunday.
A floating crane was used for removal, Unified Command stated. Unified Command images from Sunday showed a bridge support being removed. Authorities are under pressure to reconstruct the bridge, which handled 34,000 vehicles daily. Wes Moore remarked on X Thursday, “We cannot rebuild the bridge until we clear the wreckage.”
Unified Command also wants to restore commerce to the Port of Baltimore, which has been closed since the collision, with 32 vessels passing through temporary channels. In previous years, trade tracker Kpler reported 500 container arrivals at the port, the biggest US destination for imported autos.
Last Monday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it may open a one-way port shipping lane by April using a 280-foot-wide, 35-foot-deep trench. It also pledged to restore full port traffic by May using a "700-foot-wide by 50-foot-deep federal navigation channel."
The bridge's fall shut the Fort McHenry Channel, halting practically all port traffic, but officials have devised methods to transfer temporary freight. The Patapsco River meets Chesapeake Bay near the port.
Follow for more updates