Port of Baltimore Expands Shipping Access with New Temporary Channel Opening

A third temporary channel has opened at the Port of Baltimore, allowing for further shipping access as crews work to salvage collapsed sections of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. This new channel, located to the northeast of the fallen bridge, is open to commercially essential vessels, according to port officials.

The temporary path has a controlling depth of 20 feet, a horizontal clearance of 300 feet, and a vertical clearance of 135 feet, allowing a greater variety of vessels to access the port while the main channel is being repaired. With this new channel open, about 15 per cent of pre-collapse commercial activity is expected to resume.

The first temporary channel opened on April 1 after the bridge collapsed on March 26 when it was struck by the cargo ship Dali. The incident resulted in the tragic loss of six roadwork crew members on the bridge, with two bodies still missing.

Workers are currently removing thousands of tons of debris from the Dali, which must be cleared before the vessel can be returned to the port. Massive cranes have already removed about 1,300 tonnes of steel from the ship.

Officials are hopeful to open a channel by the end of the month to allow most maritime traffic back into one of the East Coast’s busiest maritime transit hubs. The ongoing efforts to salvage the bridge and clear the debris are crucial steps towards restoring full access to the Port of Baltimore.