A tugboat pushing a fuel barge successfully navigated an alternate channel to bypass the wreckage of Baltimore’s collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, allowing traffic to resume along the vital port’s main shipping channel. The barge, supplying jet fuel to the Department of Defense, departed late Monday en route to Delaware's Dover Air Force Base. The temporary channel is primarily open to vessels aiding in the cleanup effort, including barges and tugs stranded in the Port of Baltimore since the collapse.
Efforts are underway to create a second channel on the southwest side of the main channel to accommodate deeper draft vessels, although no timeline has been provided for its opening. Governor Wes Moore is scheduled to visit Small Business Administration centers established to assist companies with loans to mitigate losses due to the bridge collapse.
In Annapolis, a hearing is set for a bill authorizing the use of state reserves to provide financial aid to port employees affected by the collapse. Lawmakers are expediting the bill's passage in the final week of their legislative session.
Recovery operations at the collapse site involve the removal of steel and concrete debris following a container ship's collision with a supporting column. Dive teams have surveyed the bridge and the ship, while workers use torches to cut above-water sections of the twisted steel superstructure.
Authorities believe six workers perished in the collapse, with two bodies recovered and two survivors identified. Governor Moore emphasized the priority of recovering the remaining bodies and reopening shipping channels, acknowledging the complexity and risks involved in the operation.
The cargo ship Dali, which lost power on March 26, remains stationary with its crew on board. President Joe Biden is expected to visit the site on Friday to assess federal response efforts.
The ship's management and ownership entities have filed a court petition to limit their legal liability under U.S. maritime law, seeking to cap liability at approximately $43.6 million. Efforts are underway to determine the reconstruction of the iconic bridge, completed in 1977, which symbolized Baltimore's working-class heritage and maritime significance.
Congress is anticipated to consider aid packages to support individuals and businesses impacted by the extended closure of the Port of Baltimore, a critical facility for handling automobiles and agricultural equipment in the United States.
