Beginning March 26, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Navy´s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving worked to remove the Key Bridge wreckage and remove the "Dali" from the Federal Channel.
Following the removal of the wreckage at the 50-foot mud line, the Unified Command conducted an inspection of the Federal Channel on June 10, certifying that the riverbed was safe for traffic. Steel will continue to be inspected and removed at and below the 50-foot mud line to ensure that future dredging operations are not affected.
Unified Command safely moved the "Dali" on May 20 and widened the Limited Access Channel to 400 feet on May 21, allowing all pre-collapse deep draft commercial vessels to transit the Port of Baltimore. Now, the fully operational channel allows the flexibility needed to regain bi-directional traffic and override the additional safety requirements that were in place due to the reduced channel width.
"We are proud of the unified efforts that fully reopened the Federal Channel to port operations," said Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, USACE commanding general. "The partnerships that endured throughout this response made this critical mission successful."
The complete restoration of the Federal Channel to its original width and depth involved the removal of some 50,000 tons of bridge debris from the Patapsco River. At its peak, the six-agency Unified Command led response efforts among some 56 federal, state and local agencies, represented by 1,587 personnel.
In addition, some 500 specialists from around the world operated a fleet of 18 barges, 22 tugboats, 13 floating cranes, 10 excavators and four survey boats. Subject matter experts from across the United States also provided essential technical expertise to the Unified Command.
News and image obtained: "Diario del Puerto".
