(Washington) The access channel to the port of Baltimore is now completely reopened to maritime traffic, the US military announced Monday, two and a half months after the catastrophic collapse of a bridge near this economic hotspot the United States.
The channel in the Patapsco River estuary has been restored “to its original operational dimensions of 700 feet wide and 50 feet deep for commercial maritime traffic through the Port of Baltimore,” crews said in a statement soldiers responsible for this operation.
“Some 50,000 tonnes of debris from the bridge” had been cleared from the river, they added.
On March 26, the container ship Dali, flying the Singaporean flag, suffered several electrical damage and crashed into the Francis Scott Key highway bridge, which collapsed like a house of cards.
Six workers who were carrying out repair work on the deck of the structure, all Latin American immigrants, were killed. Since then, the Dali has partially blocked the access channel to this important port for trade on the east coast of the United States.
However, a temporary channel allowed partial passage for navigation.
At the end of May, the container ship was refloated and towed to a nearby shipyard.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge served as an important highway for the northeastern United States, connecting the capital Washington and New York, while the Port of Baltimore is a hub for new vehicle trade in the United States. Nearly 850,000 cars and trucks passed through it last year, more than any other U.S. port.