Baltimore bridge wreckage removal underway

Demolition crews started to cut apart sections of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge at the Port of Baltimore, Maryland, over the weekend as part of efforts to reopen the blocked waterway.

The north section of the bridge is being cut into smaller sections that can be removed by mounted cranes, according to the federal Unified Command handling the accident response. Once those sections are removed, other equipment will be able to move in closer to the containership Dali, which struck the bridge early on 26 March when it lost power. The deadly collision caused the bridge to collapse. A roughly 4,000-ton section of the bridge rests on top of the ship and will need to be removed before the vessel can be cleared.

There is no official timetable for the reopening of the port, but some observers say it will likely take many weeks or even months. Rebuilding the Interstate 695 highway bridge over the Patapsco River could take several years.

The US Department of Transportation has pledged to provide $60mn for debris removal and reconstruction of the bridge, Maryland governor Wes Moore said in a press conference last week.

Baltimore is the largest vehicle import site in the US and is a major export location for coal. Automakers are adjusting their supply routes to account for what will likely be a lengthy closure, while coal exporters are expected to shift to terminals south in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Freight rates for ships that carry coal could see increases in global markets.

Other commodities like asphalt and caustic soda that move through the port will see challenges, while organic agriculture imports may see fewer problems because of seasonal flows.

Pressure in a natural gas transmission line that runs along the harbor floor next to the bridge has been reduced, according to the Unified Command, which is also working with Baltimore Gas and Electric to make the pipeline inert.