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On March 30, rescue workers began lifting the first beams of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, starting the process of reopening the waterway to the port of Baltimore.
ReutersRescuers began lifting the first section of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore out of the water on March 30, federal and Maryland state officials said.
Local officials also deployed barges and tugboats to the scene of the bridge collapse to remove parts of the collapsed bridge on Patapsco on March 26. This is considered Baltimore's first attempt to clear the important waterway to this port city.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge earlier collapsed completely after colliding with the Dali container ship, an incident that also killed six road workers.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore said at a news conference that a section of the bridge's steel superstructure on the north side will be cut into small pieces that can be lifted by crane onto a barge and taken to a nearby staging area at Sparrows Point.
“This will allow us to reopen a portion of the waterway that passes through Baltimore and allow shipping vessels to head out to sea,” Governor Moore stressed.
However, Maryland state officials did not give a time frame for completing the plan and confirmed that the process would take several days; at the same time, they said the progress depended on the number of vehicles participating in the dismantling of Francis Scott Key.
Rescuers are using a 160-ton marine crane to lift the Francis Scott Key Bridge onto a barge. A larger 1,000-ton crane is being deployed to the area.
Authorities are not planning to attempt to free the bridge section that is currently resting on the bow of the Dali. It is unclear when the ship will be able to be moved from the collision site, but reports indicate that the hull, although damaged, is still “intact.”
US Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath said the Francis Scott Key bridge's hull would need to be removed from the area if the Dali was to be towed out.
In a recent speech, US President Joe Biden also said that he will travel to Baltimore next week to inspect and assess the situation of the Francis Scott Key Bridge demolition. Mr. Biden also pledged to pay for the reconstruction of the bridge, which could cost up to $2 billion.
The federal government also gave Maryland an initial $60 million in emergency funding to dismantle Francis Scott Key.
In addition to the damage from the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, work for about 15,000 workers at the Port of Baltimore was also disrupted.
According to US transportation industry experts, among the ports on the US East Coast that can receive container ships, Baltimore is the largest US port for importing and exporting agricultural and construction equipment.
TN (according to VTC News)