Key Bridge collapse: Crews prepare to remove pieces of bridge from Dali ahead of May 10 deadline
Salvage crews are monitoring crushed containers and shifting weight in preparation to remove parts of the Francis Scott Key Bridge that have been nestled on top of the Dali for nearly six weeks.
Last week, the Port of Baltimore said the vessel is expected to be removed by May 10. In a news release Monday, the Key Bridge Unified Command did not mention that deadline or when removal of pieces of bridge on top of the Dali will begin.
“We’ve got a total of six of, what we call, inclinometers that measure tilt on key locations of the span and key locations of the ship so we can watch how it’s pitching and rolling with tide and wind,” Rob Ruthledge, a contractor working for the Key Bridge Unified Command, said in a news release. “We have a sensor measuring the relative position of the span on the ship so we can see if for some reason it starts to slip. We also have what are called string gauges which can measure in real-time the stress, while they are performing operations.”
Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath downplayed the May 10 deadline last week, citing a host of variables that could affect progress, including the weather. Rain and thunderstorms are expected all week around Baltimore.
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The Dali struck a support pillar March 26, collapsing the middle sections of the bridge into the Patapsco River and killing six construction workers. The cargo ship has remained aground and trapped under a chunk of the bridge while crews have removed other sections of the bridge and found the bodies of five of the six missing construction workers.
Last month, a temporary channel with a depth of 38 feet was open for four days, allowing five ships that had been stranded in Baltimore to leave the port. Once the Dali is refloated and removed from the site, a 45-foot channel will be open for port traffic.
“The Key Bridge Unified Command remains committed to restoring full access to the Fort McHenry Channel as swiftly and safely as possible,” unified command said in the release. “Salvage crews within the Key Bridge Unified Command continue to prepare for the complex task of removing the large piece of bridge lying on top of the [Dali].”
The unified command includes the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland Transportation Authority, Maryland State Police and representatives of the ship’s owners.
