Baltimore to Launch Temporary Shipping Path Around Damaged Key Bridge

Early on Monday, the authorities were getting ready to open a “temporary alternate channel” around the fallen building. It was unclear exactly when it happened.

On Monday, Baltimore officials were getting ready to allow “commercially essential vessels” to use a temporary detour around the debris of the fallen Francis Scott Key Bridge.

A massive cargo ship struck the bridge on March 26, causing it to collapse and serve as a vital link to the Port of Baltimore. Ever since, wreckage has been obstructing a crucial shipping route into the harbor.

The federal and state organizations in charge of the catastrophe response declared the temporary channel late on Sunday. Their statement, which lacked a timeframe, represented a step forward in what experts predict will be a protracted rehabilitation process at one of the busiest ports in the United States.

In the announcement, Coast Guard Commander for the Maryland-National Capital region, Capt. David O’Connell, stated, “This will mark an important first step along the road to reopening the port of Baltimore.” “We will support the flow of marine traffic into Baltimore by opening this alternate route.”

According to the notification, the port’s shipping channel would be reopened gradually, with the temporary channel being one of the steps. It also gave the measurements of the channel, which included a controlling depth of 11 feet, a horizontal clearance of 264 feet, and a vertical clearance of 96 feet.

A request for comment made on Monday after business hours was not immediately answered by the officials in charge of organizing the reaction to the collapse of the Key Bridge.

According to salvage specialists, it will probably take weeks to remove the rubble from the damaged structure in the Patapsco River. How much longer it would take for shipping to return to normal is unknown.

The Washington Post had earlier reported on the temporary channel.