In this photo provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Unified Command salvors prepare for upcoming precision cuts to remove Section 4 from the port side of the bow of the container ship Dali, May 7, 2024, during the Key Bridge Response , in Baltimore.
Christopher Rosario/AP
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Christopher Rosario/AP
In this photo provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Unified Command salvors prepare for upcoming precision cuts to remove Section 4 from the port side of the bow of the container ship Dali, May 7, 2024, during the Key Bridge Response , in Baltimore.
Christopher Rosario/AP
BALTIMORE – After weeks of preparation, crews are expected to conduct controlled demolition on Sunday to tear down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key bridge in Maryland, which collapsed under the impact of a large container ship on March 26.
The steel span landed on the ship’s bow after the Dali lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s support columns shortly after leaving Baltimore. Since then, the ship has been stuck amid the wreckage and Baltimore’s busy port has been closed to most maritime traffic.
Six members of a road construction crew were killed in the tunnel collapse. Their last bodies were recovered from the underwater wreckage earlier this week. All of the victims were Latino immigrants who came to the United States in search of job opportunities. They were filling potholes during the night shift when the bridge was destroyed.
The controlled demolition will allow the Dali to be refloated and returned to the Port of Baltimore. Once the ship is removed, maritime traffic can begin to return to normal, which will bring relief to thousands of stevedores, truckers and small business owners who have witnessed expect their jobs to be affected due to the closure.
Dali’s 21-member crew will shelter in place on the ship while the explosives are detonated.
William Marks, a spokesman for the crew, said they would take shelter “in a designated safe place” during the demolition process. “All precautions are being taken to ensure everyone’s safety,” he said in an email.
In a video released this week, authorities said engineers were using precision cuts to control how scaffolding broke. They say this method allows for “surgical precision” and is one of the safest and most effective ways to remove steel under high levels of strain. According to the video, the steel structure would have been “pushed away from Dali” when the explosives caused it to fall into the water.
Once it is demolished, a hydraulic picker will lift the collected steel sections onto the barge.
“It’s important to note that this controlled demolition is nothing like what you see in the movies,” the video says, noting that from a distance, it will sound like fireworks or thunder Loud lightning and smoke emitted.
Officials previously said they hoped to remove the Dali by May 10 and reopen the port’s 50-foot (15.2-meter) main channel by the end of May.
Dali crew members have not been allowed to leave the stranded ship since the disaster. Officials said they were busy maintaining the ship and assisting investigators. Among the crew, 20 people are from India and one person is from Sri Lanka.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the FBI are investigating the bridge collapse.
Danish shipping giant Maersk chartered the Dali for a planned trip from Baltimore to Sri Lanka, but the ship didn’t make it far. Its crew sent an emergency call saying they had lost power and were unable to control the steering. A few minutes later, the train crashed into the bridge.
Officials said the safety board’s investigation will focus on the ship’s electrical system.
