Sonar images of Baltimore bridge collapse vividly show scale of removal effort needed

Doug Cunningham
·3 min read
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Adm. Linda L. Fagan, commandant of the Coast Guard, Vice Adm. Peter W. Gautier, deputy commandant for operations, Gov. Wes Moore, governor of Maryland, and Mayor Brandon Scott, mayor of Baltimore, use a Coast Guard boat to assess the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, Md., this past Friday. Photo by PO1 Brandon Giles/U. S. Coast Guard/UPI

April 3 (UPI) -- As Key Bridge debris removal efforts continued Wednesday in Baltimore, sonar imagery taken by the U.S. Navy Seas System Command released Tuesday by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers showed huge parts of the wreckage sitting on the bottom of the Patapsco river.

A second channel was opened Tuesday afternoon.

"Divers are working in virtual darkness because, when lit, their view is similar to driving through a heavy snowfall at night with high-beam headlights on -- divers must be guided via detailed verbal directions from operators in vessels topside viewing real-time CODA imagery," the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said on X.

That very poor visibility and weather conditions are hampering the efforts to clear the debris.

The container ship Dali crashed into the bridge's support and caused it to collapse on March 26. Six people were killed.

This imagery, supplied by the U.S. Navy's Naval Sea System Command shows Francis Scott Key Bridge wreckage resting at the bottom of the river where the once stood. These 3D sonar images captured in near zero visibility show the sheer magnitude of the complicated and challenging salvage operation ahead. Photo by NAVSEA/SUPSALV/UPI
This imagery, supplied by the U.S. Navy's Naval Sea System Command shows Francis Scott Key Bridge wreckage resting at the bottom of the river where the once stood. These 3D sonar images captured in near zero visibility show the sheer magnitude of the complicated and challenging salvage operation ahead. Photo by NAVSEA/SUPSALV/UPI

The underwater imaging tool used to create the underwater debris images even in near total darkness is called CODA Octopus after the company that makes the imaging sonar technology.

Visibility was clouded to just 1 to 2 feet because of the 4 to 5 feet of mud at the bottom of the Patapsco River, according to the Army Corps of Engineers.

About 1,000 Army Corps of Engineers personnel are deployed along with specialized equipment to get the wreckage of the bridge cleared and to reopen the Baltimore port. Photo by PO1 Brandon Giles/U. S. Coast Guard/UPI
About 1,000 Army Corps of Engineers personnel are deployed along with specialized equipment to get the wreckage of the bridge cleared and to reopen the Baltimore port. Photo by PO1 Brandon Giles/U. S. Coast Guard/UPI

Despite those challenges, the second channel, 14 feet deep, was opened in the river Tuesday afternoon.

In a statement Tuesday, U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Baxter Smoak said, "The opening of these two alternate channels and transit of critical response resources, as well as the first commercial traffic movements through the area, is a significant milestone in our response efforts. Our number one priority remains the opening of the deep draft channel. We are simultaneously focused on opening additional routes of increased capacity as we move forward."

Sonar imagery taken by the U.S. Navy Seas System Command and released by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shows huge parts of the wreckage sitting on the bottom of the Patapsco river. A second, 14-foot deep channel was opened Tuesday in Baltimore's harbor as debris clearing efforts continued. This imagery, supplied by the U.S. Navy's Naval Sea System Command (NAVSEA) Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV) on used an underwater sonar imaging tool, known as CODA Octopus. Photo by NAVSEA/SUPSALV/UPI

A third channel 20 to 25 feet deep is planned. The main channel won't be passable until after the Dali ship is removed.

About 1,000 Army Corps of Engineers personnel are deployed along with specialized equipment to get the wreckage of the bridge cleared and to reopen the Baltimore port.

Demolition crews with the Unified Command begin cutting the top portion of the north side of the collapsed Key Bridge into smaller sections for safe removal by crane in the Patapsco River, in Baltimore, Maryland, March 30, 2024. Photo by PO2 Taylor Bacon/U.S. Coast Guard/UPI
Demolition crews with the Unified Command begin cutting the top portion of the north side of the collapsed Key Bridge into smaller sections for safe removal by crane in the Patapsco River, in Baltimore, Maryland, March 30, 2024. Photo by PO2 Taylor Bacon/U.S. Coast Guard/UPI

The Key Bridge Response Unified Command is led by the U.S. Coast Guard. Army Corps of Engineers, Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland transportation Authority and Maryland State Police.