Baltimore Port’s shipping channel fully reopened on 10 June, more than two months after
Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed following an allision with box ship Dali.
The channel restarted operations after the US Army Corps and US Navy Supervisor of
Salvage and Diving removed 50,000 tonnes of debris from the 26 March incident that
claimed the lives of six construction workers on the bridge.
The US Army Corps said a survey has shown the riverbed as safe for ships and the Fort
McHenry Federal Channel had been restored to its original operational dimensions of 700
feet wide and 50 feet deep.
Baltimore District Commander Col Estee Pinchasin said in a statement: “Although the
overarching goal to restore full operational capacity to the Federal Channel was successful,
each day we thought of those who lost their lives, their families and the workers impacted
by this tragic event.”
After the bridge collapse, Dali, chartered by Maersk Line at the time, was trapped under the
wreckage in the Patapsco River. On 14 May, the US Army Corps used explosives to blow up a 4,000-tonne piece of debris to liberate the ship, which was then towed to Seagirt Marine
Terminal.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation started probing the collapse in April. In May, the
National Transportation Safety Board said the Dali suffered blackouts several times
before coming into contact with one of the piers of the bridge.
Civil suits have been filed against Singapore-based Grace Ocean, which owns Dali, and the
ship manager, Synergy Marine. The defendants have denied having caused the incident and
are seeking to cap damages at US$43.6 million.
Maryland state, where Baltimore is, estimates it will cost US$1.7 billion to US$1.9 billion to rebuild the bridge and anticipates completion by fall 2028.
Consultancy Linerlytica expects minimal impact on container shipping, as Baltimore handles
slightly over 1 million TEU annually, accounting for just 4.5% of containers handled on the
US East Coast.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
