A cargo ship trapped in Baltimore’s harbor for weeks after the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge collapsed last month was finally freed Thursday as it became the first vessel to pass the wreckage via a new deep-water channel.
Guided by two tug boats, the Balsa 94, a bulk carrier headed for Saint John, Canada, traveled through the new, temporary 35-foot-deep channel followed by two more commercial ships later in the day.
The otherwise mundane crossings mark a milestone in the port city’s recovery after a huge container ship lost power on March 26 and slammed into the bridge, causing it to crumble into pieces — and killing six construction workers who were atop the span.
Baltimore officials are still working to clear thousands of tons of mangled steel from the entrance to its harbor where the Dali, the cargo ship that caused the wreck, remains stuck on the debris.
Five vessels that have been trapped in the harbor for nearly a month with no way out are expected to finally leave through the new channel over the next few days before officials close it Monday or Tuesday.
The channel will remain closed through May 10 while crews work to free the Dali by removing steel spans that crashed onto its deck so that it can refloat and be guided back into the port.
The 50-foot-deep main channel is scheduled to reopen next month after the cargo ship is moved out — reestablishing maritime traffic to the busy port, which normally processes more cars and farming equipment than any other in the US.
The bridge collapse killed six Latin American immigrants who were part of a roadwork crew on break when the cargo ship rammed into it. Only four of their bodies have been recovered from the mess of steel and concrete under the water’s surface.
The disaster also hurt Baltimore’s economy and affected countless jobs of longshoremen, truckers and small business owners and the main channel’s reopening is expected to ease the impact.
With Post wires.
