Baltimore port to open deeper channel, enabling some ships to pass after Key Bridge collapse

ONFIRE-TV.com – Officials in Baltimore plan to open a deeper channel for commercial ships to enter and leave the city’s port starting on Thursday — a significant step toward reopening the major maritime shipping hub that has remained closed to most traffic since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed last month. The new channel will be 35 feet (12 meters) deep, which is a substantial increase over the three other temporary channels established in recent weeks. It puts the cleanup effort slightly ahead of schedule, as officials previously said they hoped to open a channel of that depth by the end of April.

Five of the seven cargo ships that have been stuck in Baltimore’s harbor will be able to pass through the new channel, including one loaded car carrier, officials said Tuesday, marking one month since the deadly disaster. Other ships are scheduled to enter the port, which normally processes more cars and farm equipment than any other in the country.

“Four weeks ago, our way of life was dealt a huge blow with the collapse of the Key Bridge,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said during a news conference.

Gov. Moore: Crews remove 1,100 tons of steel from Key Bridge collapse site

Salvage crews in Baltimore are doing some heavy lifting as they work to clear the wreckage of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge and open a third temporary shipping channel by month’s end.

Speaking at an afternoon news conference on Tuesday, Gov. Wes Moore said in the three weeks since the collapse, crews have removed 1,100 tons of steel from the Patapsco River, which is equivalent to five times the weight of the Statue of Liberty.

Moore noted this has been done without a single injury on the job.

In a show of bipartisan unity, the Democratic governor was joined by former Republican Gov. Bob Ehrlich and GOP state lawmakers who helped pass the Maryland PORT Act, emergency legislation that supports businesses and workers impacted by the collapse.

READ MORE: Maryland makes bipartisan case for federal funding after Key Bridge collapse

Moore says he plans to travel to Washington again to continue the push for full federal funding to rebuild the bridge.

Maryland makes bipartisan case for federal funding after Key Bridge collapse

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore provided a briefing Tuesday afternoon after the March 26 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

The governor said, as of Tuesday, crews have moved more than 1,100 tons of steel from the Patapsco River. To put that into perspective, Moore said that is five times the weight of the Statue of Liberty.

“We have not had a single injury on the job — three weeks, 1,110 tons of steel, no injuries. This is an absolutely remarkable achievement,” Moore said.

But the governor said one of the biggest priorities is to get the main shipping channel back open by the end of May, and he said the next step toward making that happen is by removing a large 300-ton steel structure that’s resting on the cargo ship.

The governor said about 40 containers have been lifted from the ship.

Source: WBAL

Diddy & Key Bridge Conspiracies’ | Swap Radio

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.

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.