Goodbye, Dali: Ship that caused Key Bridge collapse leaves Baltimore three months later

Traffic on the Bay Bridge was stopped briefly Monday while the Dali, the ship that hit and destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, sailed underneath on its way to repairs in Norfolk. Screenshot of Maryland Transportation Authority video.

The Dali — the cargo ship that collided with Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, leading to its collapse on March 26 — finally left Baltimore Monday on its way to port in Norfolk, Virginia.

Traffic on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge was temporarily suspended late Monday morning by the Maryland Transportation Authority “out of an abundance of caution,” as the 984-foot marine vessel Dali passed beneath, the authority said. Bay Bridge traffic was held for about 30 minutes, reopening just before 11:30 a.m., the authority said.

Officials said the decision was made “in consultation with the U.S. Coast Guard” and that four tug boats are accompanying the Dali to provide anchoring support on its way to Norfolk. The Coast Guard is providing a 500-yard safety zone around the cargo ship during its trip.

The ship’s departure came the same day that the National Transportation Safety Board released an update on its ongoing investigation into the crash. The NTSB said it has determined that two circuit breakers “unexpectedly opened when the vessel was three ship lengths from the Key Bridge, causing the first blackout … to all shipboard lighting and most equipment,” causing it to veer off course. The agency said it is continuing to test wiring and electrical equipment that was removed from the ship.

The FBI has also launched a criminal investigation.

For the last month, the Dali has been docked at Baltimore’s Seagirt Marine Terminal as it awaited approval for relocation and repairs in Norfolk. It started moving shortly before 8:30 a.m. with four tugboats.

The Coast Guard said the Dali was scheduled to go directly to Virginia International Gateway to unload roughly 1,500 cargo containers still on the ship, to reduce draft. The vessel is then scheduled to travel further to Norfolk International Terminal, where it will undergo continued salvage and repairs from damage caused during the bridge collapse.

The Dali left the Port of Baltimore and drove past the site of the former Key Bridge after 9 a.m. WTOP’s Luke Lukert said the ship was “moving a lot quicker” than when tugboats escorted the ship back to port in mid-May.

The 170-mile journey to Norfolk is expected to take between 16 and 20 hours.

On March 26, the Dali had crashed into, and effectively destroyed, Baltimore’s Key Bridge after the vessel lost power and veered off course. Six construction workers on the bridge were killed in the crash, and it is predicted that reconstruction of the bridge will take years, potentially costing billions.

Last week, under an agreement confirmed by a federal judge, members of the Dali’s crew were allowed to head home. None of the crew members had been able to leave the U.S. since the crash. Under the agreement, the crew members can return home but must be available for depositions.

Regarding Monday’s trip past the Bay Bridge, WTOP’s Dave Dildine said, with so much attention, it was “probably a good idea that traffic will be held, so drivers won’t be tempted to slow down, watch and take their eyes off the road.”

As part of Maryland Matters’ content sharing agreement with WTOP, we feature this article from Joshua Barlow, to which the Associated Press contributed. Click here for the WTOP News website.

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