U.S. crews in
Baltimore plan to set off controlled explosions on Monday 13 May to allow them to remove a portion of the
collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge from the bow of the massive container ship
that toppled the span in March.
The detonations will
break the bridge's truss into small sections, enabling salvage crews to use
cranes and barges to haul away the twisted metal wreckage, the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers said. The work had been planned for Sunday but it could not be
carried out because of weather conditions. Hence delay.
Afterwards, crews will refloat the 948-foot Dali
ship, remove it from the main channel and fully reopen the port, the Corps
said.
In the early morning
of March 26, the Dali lost power and crashed into a bridge support, sending the
span into the Patapsco River, with a major portion draped over the Dali's bow.
Six construction workers were killed.
The incident initially
halted traffic at the Port of Baltimore, which ranks first in the United States
in several cargo categories, including autos and light trucks, farm and
construction machinery, imported sugar and imported gypsum, according to the
state of Maryland.
Since the crash, four temporary channels have been
opened, allowing for some
shipping to resume. The Corps said it aims to restore port access to full
capacity by the end of May.
Maryland estimates it
will cost $1.7 billion to $1.9 billion to rebuild the bridge and anticipates
completion by fall 2028.
In April, the FBI opened a criminal probe into the
collapse. Safety investigators
recovered the ship's "black box" recorder, which provides data on its
position, speed, heading, radar, and bridge audio and radio communications, as
well as alarms.