Baltimore, US – Francis Scott Key Bridge Incident Update
June 14, 2024: Multimedia Release: Vessels transit newly-reopened Baltimore Federal Channel for Maryland Fleet Week
BALTIMORE – In this series of time-lapse videos, the USS Fort Lauderdale, USS Gonzales and Cape Wrath enter the Port of Baltimore via the newly-reopened Fort McHenry Federal Channel Thursday, June 12, 2024, in time for Maryland Fleet Week.
Direct links to each video included are below:
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USS Fort Lauderdale transits newly-reopened Baltimore Federal Channel for Maryland Fleet Week
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Cape Wrath transits newly-reopened Baltimore Federal Channel for Maryland Fleet Week
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USS Gonzalez transits newly-reopened Baltimore Federal Channel for Maryland Fleet Week
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Vessels transit newly-reopened Baltimore Federal Channel for Maryland Fleet Week – Video #1
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Vessels transit newly-reopened Baltimore Federal Channel for Maryland Fleet Week – Video #2
June 10, 2024
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the full restoration of the Fort McHenry Federal Channel in Baltimore after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge back in March 2024. A multi-agency salvage operation removed about 50,000 tons of bridge wreckage from the Patapsco River over 2.5 months.
Key Milestones:
• Established temporary alternate channels for shallow-draft vessels
• Removed containers from grounded ship M/V Dali
• Conducted controlled demolition to free the Dali
• Refloated and moved the Dali, widening the channel
• Removed final major steel truss pieces from channel bed
Operation Scope:
• 1,587 responders from 56 federal, state, and local agencies
• 18 barges, 22 tugboats, 13 floating cranes, 10 excavators, 4 survey boats
• Wreckage transported to Sparrows Point for processing/recycling
Outcome:
• Restored 700-foot wide, 50-foot deep federal channel
• Enabled resumption of normal port operations in Baltimore
• Prioritised safety, accountability, environment, infrastructure, investigations
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May 28, 2024
- New aerial photos show the shrinking amount of steel wreckage remaining in the Fort McHenry Federal Channel after the bridge collapse.
- As of May 20th, the Unified Command has cleared a 400-foot wide swath through the channel, allowing deep-draft commercial ships to transit in and out of the Port of Baltimore again.
- However, work is still ongoing to remove all remaining debris from the river bottom.
- The projected timeline is to fully restore the 700-foot width and 50-foot depth of the original federal channel by June 8-10.
- Once that is achieved, the channel will be back to its pre-collapse specifications and capacity for maritime traffic.
(Photos are in courtesy of the Maryland State Police Aviation Command)
Visit Key Bridge Response 2024 website
20 May 2024
– The salvage teams working on the Key Bridge Response were able to refloat and move the M/V Dali ship on Monday, May 20, 2024 around 7am.
– With the help of 5 tugboats, the M/V Dali was towed 2.5 miles to a local marine terminal by 9am.
– This allows all large commercial vessels to now enter and exit the Port of Baltimore through the federal channel.
– The unified command says they will continue clearing remaining wreckage until the 700-foot width of the federal channel is fully restored to its original depth.
– This milestone marks the resumption of commercial vessel traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore, which is an economic engine for the region.
– The joint information centre has a new phone number (505-929-5971) as operations relocate from the cruise terminal.
25April 2024 | Baltimore, US – Francis Scott Key Bridge Incident Update
– The U.S. Coast Guard has established temporary alternate channels with limited depth and width to allow some commercial vessel traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26th.
– As of late April, the available temporary channels had controlling depths of 11 feet, 14 feet, and 20 feet. Transit is limited and requires Coast Guard permission.
– The Coast Guard aims to open a 35-foot deep, 280-foot wide limited access channel by the end of April to support barge/container and roll-on/roll-off vessel traffic.
– The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expects to reopen the permanent 700-foot wide, 50-foot deep federal navigation channel by the end of May, restoring normal port capacity.
– The Maryland government launched business assistance programs to help Port companies retain employees and offset economic impacts from the disruption.
– Wreckage/debris removal and response efforts are ongoing, with safety as the top priority. The goal is to fully reopen the shipping channel as soon as possible.
More information can be found at https://www.keybridgeresponse2024.com and the MARINE SAFETY INFORMATION BULLETIN 043-24
22 April 2024
- The U.S. Coast Guard has announced the opening of a temporary 35-foot deep Fort McHenry Limited Access Channel from April 25th to April 29th/30th to allow ships to leave the Port of Baltimore after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse incident on March 26th.
- Three other temporary shallow channels (20, 14, and 11-foot depths) remain open for commercial vessel transits.
- The Army Corps of Engineers expects to reopen the permanent 50-foot deep main shipping channel by the end of May 2024.
- Maryland has launched worker retention and business assistance programs to support companies impacted by the shipping disruption.
- The highest priority is fully reopening the main navigational channel as soon as possible while safety remains the chief concern during recovery efforts.
- A website (www.keybridgeresponse2024.com) has been set up to provide updates on the incident response.
For more details, please refer to the MARINE SAFETY INFORMATION BULLETIN 043-24
09 April 2024 | Baltimore, US – Francis Scott Key Bridge Incident Update
Temporary alternative channels established
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has set up temporary alternative navigation channels near Sollers Point and Hawkins Point, close to the Francis Scott Key Bridge. These channels are intended for commercially essential vessels as part of a gradual process to reopen the main federal shipping channel.
The Sollers Point Channel is located on the northeast side of the main ship channel near the bridge. It has a controlling depth of 11 feet, a horizontal clearance of 264 feet, and a vertical clearance of 95 feet. Transit through this channel is limited to daylight hours and subject to the discretion of the Captain of the Port (COTP).
The Hawkins Point Channel is situated on the southwest side of the main channel near the bridge. It offers a controlling depth of 14 feet, a horizontal clearance of 280 feet, and a vertical clearance of 124 feet. Like the Sollers Point Channel, transit is restricted to daylight hours and COTP discretion.
Both temporary channels are marked with government-maintained navigational aids. The existing 2,000-yard safety zone around the Francis Scott Key Bridge remains in effect to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment. Entry into this safety zone requires prior permission from the COTP or an authorized representative.
For more details, please refer to USCG Marine Safety Information Bulletins 037-24 and 038-24.
April 7, 2024 | Baltimore, US – Francis Scott Key Bridge Incident Update
Removal of containers onboard M/V Dali Commences
On Sunday, April 7, 2024. The Unified Command has begun removing containers from the M/V Dali at the Francis Scott Key Bridge incident site. This effort is aimed at gaining access to the portion of the bridge that is resting on the ship, as part of the overall recovery and salvage operations.
The container removal from the M/V Dali will continue in the coming days, weather permitting.
In parallel, the Unified Command has also been removing wreckage and debris from the site, including sections of Span 19 that were transported to Sparrows Point, Maryland. While marine traffic remains limited, one vessel has transited through the temporary alternate channels in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 32 since the channels were established.