It has been announced that the Port of Baltimore, closed to vessel traffic since the March collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, will see a major milestone this weekend.
More than two months after container vessel Dali slammed into Baltimore’s Key Bridge and collapsed the bridge, the main shipping channel in the Port of Baltimore will be clear of further debris and reopen for vessel traffic this upcoming weekend.
There is a last-minute effort to iron out a few kinks which include dredging the channel, and picking up remaining small debris. However, the last span of the bridge that was blocking the channel was removed this week, clearing the way for passage.
The Fort McHenry Channel, the main shipping channel in question, is 50 feet deep and 700 feet wide. Opening it will be the key decisive action to allow shipping vessels to once again pass through the Port of Baltimore and start voyages again.
The news is a welcome development for a supply chain that has seen many issues this year.
The collapse of the Key Bridge earlier this year was another setback for the shipping supply chain, which already had suffered setbacks with the Red Sea crisis and other global factors. In recent weeks, port congestion once again become a concern and re-routings were common.
All work to restore the channel will be fully completed by June 10th, according to workers onsite. There was already a temporary channel established, but will be more permanent.
Of course, much more work remains.
The Key Bridge needs to be rebuilt. There will be further delays as things get back to normal. There are real questions about container ship safety and other factors. However, this is a big milestone.
