Salvage Operation very keen on Temporary Channels for Baltimore Harbor

The U.S. Coast Guard leading the Unified Command and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are focusing on the opening of temporary alternative channels as they respond to the bridge collapse in Baltimore

The first of the three channels was opened during the day on Monday on the north side. Teams from the command were seen yesterday, March 31, placing the first buoys in the water around the debris from the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Officials noted that the opening of the channel today, April 1, is in place for smaller, essential vessels.

The first temporary channel, however, will just have the vessels that will be able to use it with a depth of 11 feet only. Naturally with this depth of 11 feet, only limited approval might be given to commercial vessels such as tugs or barges. The first commercial vessel through the channel was a fuel barge used to supply jet fuel to the Department of Defense and was transiting to Dover Air Force Base.

“This will mark an important first step along the road to reopening the port of Baltimore,” said Capt. David O’Connell, Federal On-Scene Coordinator, Key Bridge Response 2024. “By opening this alternate route, we will support the flow of marine traffic into Baltimore.” Within a few days, they also expect to add a second channel Captain O’Connell described during an interview with CBS News…

As the work progresses, they said they would first position assets for repositioning and then refloating the Dali.