A pending report from dive teams is one more step toward moving the 985’ containership Dali out of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry Channel and reopening the port, officials said Thursday.
The Coast Guard-led unified command says experts continued to evaluate sonar and lidar imagery from surveys around where the Dali struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge and brought it down March 26.
An intricate operation using small explosive charges brought down a section of the bridge wreckage still on the Dali Monday. The dive survey is still needed to ensure the safety of refloating the ship and moving it to Baltimore’s Seagirt Marine Terminal, according to the unified command.
Salvors worked with cranes to remove submerged and unstable wreckage from Monday’s controlled demolition.
“Safety also dictates the securing or removal of severely damaged containers and overhanging wreckage from the initial bridge collapse onto the deck of the M/V Dali,” according to the unified command. “This process is already underway and should be complete in the days ahead.”
Almost 50% of the 700’ wide federal channel was cleared to an operational depth of 48 feet before the controlled demolition. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it is still on track to have the port's navigation fully reopened by the end of May.
