Officials detail month of progress after bridge collapse

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(BALTIMORE) — One month has passed since the Singaporean-flagged containership Dali struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which connects Hawkins Point and Dundalk, Md., resulting in the bridge’s collapse into the lower Patapsco River. This incident brought all maritime traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore to a standstill.

During the incident involving Dali, eight road crew workers, who were on break from repairing potholes, were present on the bridge when it collapsed. Two workers were rescued and the bodies of four missing workers have been recovered, leaving two still unaccounted for. Efforts to locate the missing workers continue.

To date, 171 commercial vessels have transited the four alternate channels, including five of the vessels waiting to depart the Port of Baltimore since March 26. One hundred thirty-seven containers of the estimated 180 necessary to access the portion of the bridge atop Dali have been removed.

Officials detail month of progress after bridge collapseSalvors remove bridge wreckage lying on the containership Dali on Saturday in Baltimore. Key Bridge Response 2024 photo

More than 350 uniformed and civilian workers from 53 federal, state and local agencies across the U.S. are deployed to Baltimore for the ongoing recovery and salvage efforts. In addition, 553 contract specialists are actively involved in various roles related to dive, crane and vessel operations. Over 1,000 individuals have contributed to the Key Bridge response mission over the past month.

To address the estimated 50,000 tons of wreckage at the Francis Scott Key Bridge site, the Unified Command has assembled a substantial fleet of diverse vessels and equipment which includes 36 barges, 27 tugboats, 22 floating cranes, 10 excavators, one dredger, one skimmer and three Coast Guard cutters. Progress in the salvage effort has been significant, with over 3,000 tons of wreckage and debris already removed from the site for disposal or recycling.

Ninety dive missions have been conducted by as many as seven dive teams, each consisting of four to five specialists. This tally does not include the numerous recovery-related dives undertaken within the initial 48 hours by over 60 divers from the Maryland State Police and other federal, state and local agencies.

Survey vessels deployed by the Unified Command have executed more than 60 missions to gather sonar and laser imagery, essential for mapping the wreckage of Dali and determining safe maritime navigation routes. This data, acquired day and night, is crucial for diver safety, enabling dive supervisors to guide underwater operations amid the murky depths of the Patapsco River.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Coast Survey completed nine hydrographic survey assessments to help establish the temporary channels by identifying obstructions for salvage teams to remove. Following obstruction removal, the NOAA hydrographic survey team returned and verified the temporary alternate channels were clear and safe for vessel navigation.

Aerial efforts have also played a vital role, with more than 100 pilots and support specialists from over 35 agencies conducting 250 unmanned aircraft system missions and 60 manned helicopter and fixed-wing sorties. Serving as the literal eye in the sky, the air operations branch has been instrumental from the early search and rescue phase to the ongoing salvage operations, providing essential oversight for Unified Command planners, operators and leadership.

The captain of the port issued a broadcast notice to mariners via VHF Channel 16. Mariners are requested to monitor Channel 16 for the latest information.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources issued a public notice for the establishment of a minimum wake speed limit zone that will remain in effect for the duration of the operations.

– Key Bridge Response 2024