Controlled demolition at Baltimore bridge collapse site on track
BALTIMORE– Crews are expected to conduct a controlled demolition Monday evening to tear down the largest remaining steel span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. month.
Engineers have been preparing for weeks to use explosives to demolish the span, which is estimated to be 500 feet (152 meters) long and weigh up to 600 tons (544 tons). It landed on the bow of the ship after the Dali lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s support columns shortly after leaving Baltimore Harbor. Since then, the ship has been stuck among the wreckage and the port has been closed to most maritime traffic.
The demolition was postponed on Sunday due to thunder.
“This is a best practice,” Gov. Wes Moore said at a news conference Monday. “Safety in this operation is our top priority.”
Moore noted that there were no injuries during the cleanup and the controlled demolition allowed crews to maintain a strong safety record.
Six construction workers were killed in the collapse.
Engineers use precision cuts to control how the trusses break off, causing them to fall off the Dali as explosives send them tumbling into the water, officials said. Once demolished, hydraulic grabs lift the broken pieces of steel onto ships.
The demolition will allow the Dali to be refloated and guided back to the port. Once the ship is removed, maritime traffic can return to normal, providing relief to thousands of dock workers, truck drivers and small business owners whose jobs have been affected by the closure.
The Dali’s 21-man crew remains below deck on the ship while the explosives are detonated. U.S. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Shannon Gilreath said containers on ship decks will further separate crews from the action.
Firefighting teams will be stationed in the area in case they are needed, and a ‘water curtain’ will help protect the ship and its cargo from possible flames. Gilreath said no fire is expected, but if one does occur, the ship’s crew will be best placed to help extinguish it.
“We took the safety of those crew members into account from the beginning,” he said. “They stay on board because they are part of the ship. They are necessary to keep the ship safe and operational.”
Crew members have not left the ship since the March 26 collapse, shortly after the ship left for Sri Lanka. Officials have said they have been busy maintaining the stranded ship and assisting investigators. Twenty crew members are from India and one is Sri Lankan.
State and federal officials have praised recovery crews and other members of the cleanup operation who helped recover the remains of the six construction workers killed in the collapse.
The last body was recovered from the underwater wreck last week. All victims were Latino immigrants who came to the US for employment. They were patching holes during a night shift when the bridge was destroyed.
Officials said the operation is on track to reopen the port’s 50-foot-deep channel by the end of May. Until then, crews have built a temporary channel that is slightly shallower. Officials said 365 commercial ships have visited the port in recent weeks. The port normally handles more cars and agricultural machinery than any other port in the country.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Baltimore native whose father and brother served as mayor decades ago, compared the Key Bridge disaster to the nighttime bombing of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, which long ago inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star-Spangled Banner during the war. of 1812. She said both are a testament to Maryland’s resilience.
Pelosi, a Democrat who represents California’s 11th District, attended Monday’s news conference with two of her family members. She praised the collective response to the tragedy as several government agencies came together and worked quickly without sacrificing safety.
“Proof that our flag was still there, all night long,” she said. “That’s Baltimore strong.”