Temporary, alternate channel established for commercial vessels after Key Bridge collapse

The U.S. Coast Guard established a temporary, alternate channel for commercially essential vessels near the fallen Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, part of a phased approach to opening the main channel leading to the vital port, officials said.

Crews have begun the complicated work of removing steel and concrete at the site of the bridge’s deadly collapse into the Patapsco River after a freighter collision last week. On Sunday, dive teams surveyed parts of the bridge and checked the ship, and workers in lifts used torches to cut above-water parts of the twisted steel superstructure.

The captain of the port is preparing to establish the temporary channel on the northeast side of the main channel. It will have a controlling depth of 11 feet (over 3 meters), a horizontal clearance of 264 feet (80 meters) and a vertical clearance of 96 feet (29 meters), officials said. A video released Sunday showed the Coast Guard dropping buoys in the water.

“This will mark an important first step along the road to reopening the port of Baltimore,” Capt. David O’Connell, the federal on-scene coordinator of the response, said in a statement Sunday night. “By opening this alternate route, we will support the flow of marine traffic into Baltimore.”

On Monday, the Small Business Administration is opening a center in Dundalk, Maryland, to help small businesses get loans to help them with losses caused by the disruption of the bridge collapse.

The bridge fell as the crew of the cargo ship Dali lost power and control on March 26. They called in a mayday, which allowed just enough time for police to stop vehicles from getting on the bridge, but not enough time to get a crew of eight workers off the structure.

President Biden to visit Baltimore following last week’s collapse of Key Bridge

President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Baltimore on Friday after last week’s collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

The president plans to meet with state and local officials and get an “on-the-ground look” at federal response efforts. Details on the exact time were not immediately available.

Also on Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard established a temporary, alternate channel for commercially essential vessels near the fallen Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, part of a phased approach to opening the main channel leading to the vital port, officials said.

Mayor Scott: 2025 budget is balanced without raising taxes or cutting services

ONFIRE-TV.com – Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott released details of his $3.4 billion 2025 operating budget on Monday, saying he has closed a $61.9 million budget gap without raising taxes or cutting services.

The mayor cited some strategic moves and good economic timing for a balanced budget proposal.

“We are putting forth a budget that completely covers the gap without furloughing employees, closing fire stations or rec centers, and without cutting city services or turning our back on the priorities of Baltimore while moving forward,” Scott said. “It takes into consideration both the financial health of the city and the very real needs that we all have ahead of us.”

According to the mayor, the next fiscal year’s budget is smaller than this year’s spending plan by 3.4%. The mayor said he instructed agencies to find 5% savings.

As part of the plan, 89 vacant city positions have been frozen, education funding is not as high as expected, property tax assessments have increased by 6.7%, income tax receipts are up by 4.2%, investment earnings increased by 59.8%, and there is a 21.3% jump in state highway user fees.

The mayor said it’s too early to tell what kind of impact last week’s collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge could have on the city’s budget.

“At this point, it is still too early to tell fully how the bridge collapse will impact our overall financial outlook,” Scott said.

The administration took 55 vacant positions at the Baltimore Police Department off the books. There is no reduction in the force, and civilians will fill in, when necessary, with the help of a state grant.

Additionally, several other city departments have lost positions, they include:

– Departments of Public Works and Recreation and Parks: eight

– Enoch-Pratt Free Library: seven

– Baltimore Housing: five

– Department of Transportation: three

– Baltimore City Office of Equity and Civil Rights: two

– Department of Human resources: one

The mayor and city officials said the balanced budget proposal comes, in part, through savings and higher-than-anticipated property tax revenues, singling out south Baltimore as an area of growth.

“The good news that we are seeing on the residential side is that property, even though we are in this marketplace because of inflation, things have cooled, those properties are holding their value. That is really good news for the city’s overall property tax assessable base,” said Laura Larsen, the city’s budget director under the Bureau of the Budget and Management Research.

The mayor is also relying on future revenue-generating proposals.

After the city made a $650,000 investment in license plate readers, the mayor plans to establish a pilot initiative to enforce residential permit parking using the license plate readers.

Parking penalties that were waived during COVID-19 will return, and the mayor plans to introduce new parking tax legislation to close loopholes used by online brokers and apps. The mayor will seek an overall increase in parking fines and fees through the city’s Board of Estimates.

“What we are really trying to do there is to ensure that we are maximizing existing revenue streams into the general fund,” Larsen said.

The public will have some say in the budget, and the City Council has the authority to make changes. The lawmakers have until June 26 to adopt the plan.

Source: WBAL

Memorial held to remember 6 construction workers lost in bridge collapse

Marylanders are doing their part to ensure the men lost in the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse will not be forgotten.

The six victims were honored Friday by workers who have jobs building and repairing roads. They not only wanted to pay tribute to the victims but to bring attention to how their work is critical and often dangerous.

Hard hats, candles and flowers were on display to remember those contractors who were filling potholes when the bridge went down.

“Essential workers who performed the dangerous yet critical work of the construction industry,” CASA’s Gustavo Torres said.

Video obtained by 11 News showed dashboard camera video of the work crew just two hours before the disaster. Two men survived. Divers found the bodies of two victims, the foreman on the job, Alejandro Hernandez-Fuentes, 35, of Baltimore, and worker Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, of Dundalk.

Four others are still missing, including Maynard Sauzo Sandoval, who lived in Owings Mills. He was the married father of two children. He was originally from Honduras and lived in the U.S. for 17 years. Miguel Luna lived in Maryland for 19 years. He was a married father of three children, originally from El Salvador. Through an interpreter, other construction workers talked about the dangers they face.

“And I ask myself what would happen if I were to get injured or even worse,” worker Erica Aleman said.

The gathering was also intended to bring attention to the number of immigrants who come to the U.S. and work in dangerous or hazardous conditions with little protection.

“One day, I had a fall, fell into another roof. This is an experience that put me into great danger at work,” remodeler Darwin Orlando Lopez said.

Workers said they will not forget the sacrifice made by the bridge collapse victims.

Source: WBAL

Baltimore bridge collapse: Cranes removing wreckage of Key Bridge; 4 unaccounted for

ONFIRE-TV.com – Cranes continue to remove the wreckage of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge Saturday as Gov. Wes Moore and several Maryland officials provided an update during a press conference.

Gov. Wes Moore says the massive crane, which can lift up to 1,000 tons, is one of at least two used to clear the channel of the twisted metal and concrete remains of the fallen bridge and the cargo ship that collided with it this week.

“The best minds in the world” are working on the plans for removal, Moore said. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Baltimore District told the governor that it and the Navy were mobilizing major resources from around the country at record speed to clear the channel.

The U.S. Navy will supply four heavy lift cranes, while 10 tugs, nine barges, eight salvage vessels and five Coast Guard boats will also join the effort.

He warned of a long road to recovery but said he was grateful to the Biden administration for approving $60 million in immediate aid. President Joe Biden has said the federal government will pay the full cost of rebuilding the bridge.

Source: WBAL

20-year-old man sentenced in deadly I-695 construction zone crash

ONFIRE-TV.com – One of the drivers from the fatal 2023 construction zone accident has been sentenced for his involvement in the deadly incident. Malachi Brown, 20, will be sentenced to 18 months in prison in part of a plea deal that he had agreed to earlier this month. Under a plea, Brown will serve 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised probation, in addition to 40 hours of community service.

According to court documents, Brown is one of two drivers who were charged in the deadly accident that saw six construction workers die back in March of 2023. The other driver, Lisa Lea, is still facing charges, and her trial is set to begin April 1. The judge in this case decided to agree upon the plea deal that prosecutors formed with Brown. The victim’s families were consulted before the deal was offered. He faced up to 60 years in prison, but accepted a plea deal for much less jail time. As part of the agreement, Brown also waived credit for the time he spent in jail and on home detention.

President Biden OKs $60M in aid after Baltimore Key Bridge collapse

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore warned Thursday of a “very long road ahead” to recover from the loss of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge as the Biden administration approved $60 million in immediate federal aid after the deadly collapse.

Massive barges carrying cranes streamed toward the site to begin the challenging work of removing twisted metal and concrete as a first step toward reopening a key shipping route blocked by the wreckage of the span.

Moore promised that “the best minds in the world” were working on plans to clear the debris, move the cargo ship that rammed into the bridge from the channel, recover the bodies of the four remaining workers presumed dead and investigate what went wrong.

“Government is working hand in hand with industry to investigate the area, including the wreck, and remove the ship,” said Moore, a Democrat, who said quick aid is needed to “lay the foundation for a rapid recovery.” President Joe Biden has pledged the federal government would pay the full cost of rebuilding the bridge.

“This work is not going to take hours. This work is not going to take days. This work is not going to take weeks,” Moore said. “We have a very long road ahead of us.”

U.S. Coast Guard officials said Wednesday night that barges were on their way to the spot where the bridge crossed the Patapsco River, but it was not clear when they would arrive.

The devastation at the site of the collapse, which happened when the powerless cargo ship struck a pillar supporting the bridge early Tuesday, is extensive. Divers recovered the bodies of two men in a pickup truck near the bridge’s middle span Wednesday, but officials said they have to start clearing the wreckage before anyone could reach the bodies of four other missing workers.

State police said the vehicles appeared to be encased in a “superstructure” of concrete and other debris.

“We have exhausted all search efforts in the areas around this wreckage, and based on sonar scans, we firmly believe that the vehicles are encased in the superstructure and concrete,” Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., superintendent of Maryland State Police, said Wednesday.

National Transportation Safety Board officials boarded the ship, the Dali, to recover information from its electronics and paperwork and to interview the captain and other crew members. Investigators shared a preliminary timeline of events before the crash, which federal and state officials have said appeared to be an accident.

Gov. Moore provides updates after Baltimore Key Bridge collapse, says ‘These families are living a nightmare’

ONFIRE-TV.com – Gov. Wes Moore held a news conference the day after the Key Bridge collapsed in Baltimore.

On Tuesday morning after the collapse, it was reported that two people were rescued from the water. One refused treatment while the other was transported to shock trauma. Later that day, it was reported that 6 people, construction workers who were on the bridge at the time, were still missing and presumably dead. On Wednesday, Moore addressed the search for the remaining crew members.

“They [the rescue team] are in frigid conditions,” Moore said. “They are down there in darkness where they can literally see about a foot in front of them. They are trying to navigate mangled metal and they are also in a place where it is now presumed that people have lost their lives. So, the work of these first responders, the work of these divers; I cannot stress enough how remarkable these individuals are.”

Key Bridge collapse has impact on Port of Baltimore, cruises

The Maryland Port Administration announced on Tuesday the suspension of vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore until further notice. The port is not shut down and it’s still processing trucks inside of the terminals.

As far as cruises go, Carnival Cruise Line sent a statement to 11 News, saying it will temporarily move Carnival Legend’s Baltimore operations to Norfolk, Virginia. Carnival Legend was scheduled to return to Baltimore from its current voyage on Sunday. It will now return to Norfolk on Sunday, and guests will be provided free bus service to Baltimore. Carnival Legend’s next seven-day itinerary on March 31 will then operate from and return to Norfolk. Guests on the current and upcoming cruises are being informed of this change.

“Our thoughts remain with the impacted families and first responders in Baltimore,” Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said in a statement. “We appreciate the pledge made by President (Joe) Biden today to dedicate all available resources to reopen Baltimore Harbor to marine traffic as soon as possible. As those plans are finalized, we will update our future cruise guests on when we will return home to Baltimore, but in the meantime, we appreciate the quick response and support from officials in Norfolk.”

WBAL-TV 11 News has also reached out to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and will update this article when a response is received. Royal Caribbean has a sailing scheduled to leave Baltimore in April.

The Cruise Lines International Association’s statement follows: “We are deeply saddened by the tragedy and collapse of the Key Bridge that occurred last night and extend our support and heartfelt prayers to all those impacted. We join everyone in extending our thanks and appreciation to the first responders and emergency workers in Baltimore, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other professionals who are working with one goal in mind — to save lives. We are closely following this situation. Right now, the most important thing to do is to allow the emergency workers to do their work.”

Based on published itineraries, there are 12 ships making 115 ship calls in 2024. Baltimore is the 29th largest cruise port in the U.S. with 378,000 passengers scheduled to move through the port.

The Baltimore Water Taxi released a statement, saying its service continues in the harbor: “Today, the entire Baltimore Water Taxi team is thinking of all those impacted by the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse – families and friends of loved ones who are missing and the first responders at the scene working under dangerous conditions. Baltimore is a tough, brave community. Together, we will come out of this tragedy even stronger.

“At this time, the Harbor Connector continues to provide public transit. We will alert the public if any impacts to our operations develop.”

Baltimore Police Commissioner Worley talks Key Bridge collapse

A container ship lost power and rammed into the Key Bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, plunging a construction crew and several vehicles into the dangerously cold waters.

Rescuers pulled out two people, but six others are missing. Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley told C4 and Bryan Nehman shortly after the accident that he “think this was purely an accident” and that an investigation will continue ” to make sure there was no terrorism. But we wanted to rule that out pretty quick.”

Synergy Marine, which operated the ship that hit the bridge, and the ship’s owner, Grace Ocean Private Ltd, have been sued at least four times in U.S. federal court on allegations of negligence and other claims tied to worker injuries on other ships owned and operated by the Singapore-based companies.

The most recent federal data shows the bridge was rated as being in fair condition overall before the crash.

“We got a ship that’s got an international flag, so there’s a lot of different rules as far as boarding the ship and going aboard the ship,” Worley said. “Even, this morning, we had to go through international rules for the waterways; and we got the Coast Guard.”

The bridge cuts across three jurisdictions: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County and part of Baltimore,  and it includes the waterway with the Coast Guard.

“We also have our partners from Howard County, PG County, all the other counties and federal agencies that sent dive teams,” Worley said.