Follow WTOP’s latest coverage of the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse and ongoing recovery efforts.
A controlled demolition involving “precision cuts made with small charges” is nearly underway at the Port of Baltimore in Maryland on a large section of the wreckage from the Key Bridge’s March 26 toppling by container ship Dali into the Patapsco River.
“The safest and swiftest method to remove the bridge piece from on top of the M/V Dali is by precision cuts made with small charges,” Unified Command said in a release Thursday.
The method is an industry standard in controlled demolition, the release said, that will break the span into smaller pieces, allowing the vessel to be refloated and removed from the channel.
An exact time is not yet available for this controlled demolition, but Baltimore officials do have an exact day, time and plan for allowing recreational vessels through a safety zone.
That will happen Sunday, with traffic “one-way at a time during one period,” according to a separate Thursday release from Unified Command.
The Captain of the Port has established that outbound transits will take place from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., and inbound transits from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
These may be canceled at any time for safety reasons, according to Unified Command, which also said all recreational vessels “must follow the rules of the road, stay within the marked channel, and heed directions by on-scene patrol vessels.”
Below is a map of the Port of Baltimore Safety Zone where recreational vessels will be allowed to pass through on Sunday:
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
