Crews utilized a controlled demolition to break down the largest remaining portion of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge after it collapsed in March.

The demolition is to clear the way and restore traffic to the busy port.

A massive cargo ship slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26th, causing the bridge to collapse.

Baltimore Bridge Collapses After Being Struck By Cargo Ship, Mass Casualty Event

“The explosives flashed orange and let off plumes of black smoke upon detonation. The longest trusses toppled away from the grounded Dali container ship and slid off its bow, sending a wall of water splashing back toward the ship,” ABC News reports.

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Per ABC News:

It marked a major step in freeing the ship, which has been stuck amid the wreckage since it lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s support columns shortly after leaving Baltimore on March 26. The demolished span came crashing down on the ship’s bow and remained resting on its deck for the past six weeks.

The collapse killed six construction workers and halted most maritime traffic through Baltimore’s busy port. The controlled demolition will allow the Dali to be refloated and restore traffic through the port, which will provide relief for thousands of longshoremen, truckers and small business owners who have seen their jobs impacted by the closure.

Officials said the detonation went as planned. They said the next step in the dynamic cleanup process is to assess the few remaining trusses on the Dali’s bow and make sure none of the underwater wreckage is preventing the ship from being refloated and moved.

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BBC reports:

Officials said they used the controlled detonation to make precision cuts, hoping to free the Dali, which will return to the Port of Baltimore.

The port, which handles a variety of goods and is the busiest in the country for car shipments, has been closed since the collapse.

At a news conference earlier Monday, officials said they hoped to move the ship within two days.

“After we do the precision cutting, we will then go back and resurvey the channel as well as survey around the Dali to make sure there are no obstructions that come from that precision cutting that would interfere with traffic,” said US Coast Guard Rear Adm Shannon Gilreath. “Then we will reopen the limited-access channel to traffic at that particular time.”

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told the BBC last week the closure of the channel has “certainly” impacted supply chains.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the collapse.

The city of Baltimore has sued the ship’s owners, Grace Ocean Private Limited, and its manager, Synergy Marine Private Limited, alleging gross negligence and recklessness. The companies have asked a court to limit their liability for the incident.

Watch additional coverage provided by the Associated Press:

 

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