In the early morning hours of March 26, a huge container ship lost power and careened into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing most of the bridge to collapse into the Patapsco River.
Six construction workers were killed in the collapse. And the destruction and extensive recovery efforts raised concerns about the implications to international shipping and commerce — the Port of Baltimore is the ninth-busiest port in the nation.
See the latest coverage.
- Latest photos from the Patapsco: From Key Bridge collapse to recovery efforts
- WATCH: Live view of Key Bridge collapse cleanup
First container ship arrives at Port of Baltimore since bridge collapse
The first container ship arrived at the Port of Baltimore since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed more than a month ago.
The MSC Cargo Passion III made it through the 35-foot temporary channel on Sunday carrying nearly 1,000 containers.
First cargo ship passes through newly opened channel in Baltimore since bridge was struck, collapsed
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago.
The ship is one of five stranded vessels expected to pass through the new, temporary channel.
Baltimore’s port administrator discusses response to Key Bridge collapse, impact — and what’s next
On Feb. 5, Jonathan Daniels assumed the role of executive director at the Maryland Port Administration.
Only seven weeks later, on March 26, Daniels found himself dealing with the tragic Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, which claimed the lives of six construction workers and was “so catastrophic” that he said no one, including himself, could truly have been prepared.
Daniels sat down with WTOP to discuss what happened that day, what the response has been, and what kind of timeline and actions the Baltimore area — and entire nation — can expect to see in terms of rebounding from the devastating collapse.
Third temporary channel opens for vessels to Baltimore port after bridge collapse
A third temporary channel for boats to enter and depart the Port of Baltimore has opened, expanding further shipping access as collapsed sections of the Francis Scott Key Bridge are salvaged before the span can ultimately be rebuilt.
The alternate channel, located to the northeast of the fallen bridge, is open to “commercially essential vessels,” port officials announced late Friday.
How have drivers adjusted to the collapse of the Key Bridge? A look at the data
Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge used to carry more than 30,000 vehicles across the Patapsco River every day. Maryland’s Department of Transportation provided WTOP with an early look at how the drivers have adjusted.
The tunnels on Interstates 95 and 895 in Baltimore were already busier than the Key Bridge, and as you can expect, there’s even more traffic and longer delays to get through them now.
Since the bridge’s collapse, traffic along I-95’s Fort McHenry tunnel is up by about 11% since before the crash, according to a Maryland State Highway spokesman. Before the crash, the Fort McHenry tunnel saw more than 100,000 vehicles pass through it every day.
4th body recovered from Baltimore bridge collapse wreckage
The body of a fourth construction worker killed during the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge was recovered Monday, the Key Bridge Unified Command announced in a news release.
The victim has been positively identified, but their identity is not being disclosed at this time at the request of the family.
Six construction workers were killed after the Dali container ship slammed into the bridge in the early morning hours of March 26. The crew was repairing potholes on the bridge and was on break at the time of the collapse.
Salvage teams located what they believed to be one of the missing construction vehicles and notified Maryland State Police. State troopers, the FBI and the Maryland Transportation Authority Police responded and found the victim trapped inside the vehicle, according to Unified Command.
“As we mourn the lives lost and continue the recovery operation, we recognize each missing individual is someone’s beloved friend or family member,” Col. Roland Butler Jr., superintendent of the Maryland Department of State Police, said in a news release. “Along with all of our allied law enforcement partners, we pledge to exhaust the physical and technical aspects of their training while deploying every available resource possible.”
FBI opens criminal investigation into Baltimore bridge collapse
The FBI is conducting a criminal investigation into the deadly collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge that is focused on the circumstances leading up to it and whether all federal laws were followed, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The person was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.
The FBI was present aboard the cargo ship Dali conducting court authorized law enforcement activity, the agency said in a statement Monday.
Police divers at Baltimore bridge collapse struggle with ‘zero visibility’ underwater
The mission is daunting at the site of the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, as crews have to remove 50,000 tons of debris.
Nonetheless, police divers are there, continuing an investigation into the collapse.
Visibility under the water is extremely poor, however.
“Best case scenario is you might be able to see eight inches in front of your face,” said Maryland State Police Cpl. Lyle German, who’s with the department’s underwater recovery team. “Worst case scenario, it’s like wearing one of those sleep masks, and you have zero visibility.”
‘It’s not a hope — it’s a plan’: Exclusive interview with Army Corps of Engineers official on front line of Baltimore Key Bridge recovery
Baltimore District Commander of the Army Corps of Engineers Col. Estee Pinchasin is on the front line of the operation to clear the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and reopen more shipping channels so larger ships can make their way to the Port of Baltimore. She joined WTOP’s Shawn Anderson and Anne Kramer from Dundalk, Maryland.
New sonar images show striking detail of Key Bridge wreckage site
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers revealed sonar images of the wreckage site, including the deepest part of the Port of Baltimore shipping channel.
Baltimore community honors workers killed in the Key Bridge collapse
Local residents in Curtis Bay, Maryland, held a vigil on Saturday to honor the six people killed at the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
A mural was built near Fort Armistead Road, the closest residents could get to the collapse site, local TV outlet WJZ reported. It features the names of the six construction workers, hard hats, work boots and the flags of their native countries. Members of the community honored the victims through prayer and song.
See more from the vigil below.
Salvage crews begin removing containers from ship that collapsed Key Bridge
Salvage crews on Sunday began removing containers from the deck of the cargo ship that crashed into and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, an important step toward the full reopening of one of the nation’s main shipping lanes.
The removal of the containers from the deck of the Dali would continue this week as weather permits, according to a statement from the Key Bridge Response Unified Command. Crews were progressing toward removing sections of the bridge that lie across the ship’s bow to eventually allow it to move, the statement said.
3rd construction worker’s body found, ID’d
The body of another construction worker was pulled from the water Friday following the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse.
In a release from the recovery effort, officials said they found the remains of 38-year-old Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval. His body was found around 10:30 a.m.
“Unified Command salvage dive teams located what they believed to be the missing construction worker and notified the Maryland Department of State Police. Maryland State Police Underwater Recovery Team deployed in coordination with dive teams from allied law enforcement partners and recovered Suazo-Sandoval,” authorities said.
“The collapse of the Key Bridge is undoubtedly one of the most challenging tragedies we have faced as a law enforcement agency. Along with our local, state and federal public safety partners, we will not give up,” Col. Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland Department of State Police, said.
“There are families still waiting to hear if we have found their loved one. I can promise you, we are fully committed to finding closure for each of these families.”
Three more bodies have yet to be recovered.
Baltimore Orioles, Ravens donate $10M to bridge collapse recovery effort
The Baltimore Orioles and Baltimore Ravens have together donated $10 million to the Baltimore Community Foundation’s Key Bridge Emergency Fund.
The fund was established to provide ongoing support to the recovery and resilience efforts for families, port workers, first responders, small businesses and communities affected by the collapse of the Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, the Baltimore Community Foundation said in a news release.
“The resiliency of our city has once again been sorely tested,” Orioles owner David Rubenstein said in the release. “Under the leadership of Governor Wes Moore, and in collaboration with the Ravens, the Orioles offer this contribution to support those who keep our city, our state, and our country in business.”
For information on how to donate to the fund, visit the Baltimore Community Foundation’s website.
Biden tours collapsed Baltimore bridge as clearing proceeds and declares ‘your nation has your back’
President Joe Biden got a firsthand look Friday at efforts to clear away the “mangled mess” of remains of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, as cranes, ships and diving crews work to reopen one of the nation’s main shipping lanes.
Aboard Marine One, circling the warped metal remains and the mass of construction and salvage equipment trying to clear the wreckage of last week’s collapse, Biden got his first up close view of the devastation. On the ground, he received a briefing from local officials, the U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers on the situation in the water and its impacts on the region.
Biden also greeted police officers who helped block traffic to the bridge in the moments before it was hit by the ship, which helped avert an even larger loss of life.
“I’m here to say your nation has your back and I mean it,” Biden said from the shoreline overlooking the collapsed bridge. “Your nation has your back.”
Tentative plan to restore navigation through Port of Baltimore
Engineers working to clear the wreckage of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore announced they expect to be able to restore navigation in and out of the Port of Baltimore by the end of this month.
The bridge collapsed within seconds on March 26 after being struck by the cargo ship Dali, which lost power shortly after leaving Baltimore, bound for Sri Lanka. The ship issued a mayday alert with just enough time for police to stop traffic, but not enough to save a roadwork crew filling potholes on the bridge. Authorities believe six workers plunged to their deaths in the Patapsco River; two bodies have been recovered so far. Two others survived.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced a “tentative timeline” Thursday, saying in a news release that it expects to open a limited access channel to the port within the next four weeks measuring some 280 feet wide by 35 feet deep (85 meters by 11 meters). The channel would support one-way traffic in and out of the port for barge container service and some vessels that move automobiles and farm equipment to and from the port.
Baltimore bridge cleanup continues
Crews continued clearing the mangled wreckage of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Crews opened a second temporary channel through the collapse site Tuesday, but it’s too shallow for most commercial vessels. The two alternate channels are meant primarily to aid in the cleanup effort. Work continues to open a third channel that will allow larger vessels to pass through the bottleneck and restore more commercial activity, officials said.
Meanwhile, bad weather has hindered salvage operations in recent days. The Patapsco River is also very murky, severely limiting the visibility of divers.
The sheer volume of debris dwarfed even the cranes and barges involved in the cleanup. And that’s only the view from above; officials said underwater conditions are significantly more challenging.
Divers are still trying to get a sense of the tangled, muddy web. Sonar is being used to map the wreckage on the river bottom in 50 feet (15 meters) of water. A large floating crane nicknamed “Chessy” is helping with the salvage.
Crews will soon begin lifting undamaged containers off the ship before removing the chunks of steel and concrete embedded in its bow, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath said at a news conference.
Second channel opened allowing some vessels to bypass wreckage at the Baltimore bridge collapse site
Crews opened a second temporary channel on Tuesday allowing a limited amount of marine traffic to bypass the mangled wreckage of Baltimore’s collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, which had blocked the vital port’s main shipping channel since its destruction one week ago.
Work is ongoing to open a third channel that will allow larger vessels to pass through the bottleneck and restore more commercial activity, officials announced at a news conference Tuesday afternoon. The channels are open primarily to vessels involved in the cleanup effort, along with some barges and tugs that have been stuck in the Port of Baltimore.
A tugboat pushing a fuel barge was the first vessel to use an alternate channel late Monday. It was supplying jet fuel to Delaware’s Dover Air Force Base.
Gov. Wes Moore said rough weather over the past two days has made the challenging salvage effort even more daunting. Conditions have been unsafe for divers trying to recover the bodies of the four construction workers believed trapped underwater in the wreckage.
Gov. Wes Moore discusses the recovery effort on WTOP
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore joined WTOP live from Dundalk, Maryland, to discuss the recovery efforts, saying the state was still in mourning a week after the collapse and revealing the key moments the night of the container ship crash that saved “countless lives.”
Channel opens for vessels clearing wreckage at Baltimore bridge collapse site
The U.S. Coast Guard has opened a temporary, alternate channel for vessels involved in clearing debris from the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, part of a phased approach to opening the main shipping channel leading to the vital port, officials said Monday.
Crews are undertaking the complicated work of removing steel and concrete at the site of the bridge’s deadly collapse after a container ship lost power and crashed into a supporting column. On Sunday, dive teams surveyed parts of the bridge and checked the ship, and workers in lifts used torches to cut above-water parts of the twisted steel superstructure.
Officials said the temporary channel is open primarily to vessels that are helping with the cleanup effort. Some barges and tugs that have been stuck in the Port of Baltimore since the collapse are also scheduled to pass through the channel.
Small business recovery center opens
Federal loans became available through the Small Business Administration for small businesses in the mid-Atlantic affected by the closure of the port of Baltimore, due to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The SBA opened a Business Recovery Center in Dundalk on Monday.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore had requested a disaster declaration by the SBA, which has been granted.
One of the last drivers to cross Baltimore’s Key Bridge, this man is ‘thankful’ to be alive
As the loss of six construction workers emphasized the tragedy of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, one man who traveled the bridge just minutes before a cargo ship crash brought it down says he is “thankful that he’s still here.”
“If I had been another … minute, I may not be here talking to you,” Larry Desantis told WTOP.
Desantis was headed to one of his bakery jobs to the next on the night of the collapse, and says he was one of the last cars to cross the bridge before it fell.
Construction workers honor Key Bridge collapse victims
While holding flowers and wearing construction hats and yellow or orange vests, Maryland construction workers on Friday honored their peers who died when Baltimore’s Key Bridge collapsed this week.
After praying for healing and safety, the community workers, some of whom are members of the immigrant rights group CASA, recalled some of the dangers they have experienced in their jobs.
They described the risks they face every day simply by going to work, and considered that it could have been them repairing potholes on the bridge when the Dali cargo ship struck it.
Building a new Key Bridge could take years and cost at least $400 million, experts say
Rebuilding Baltimore’s collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge could take anywhere from 18 months to several years, experts say, while the cost could be at least $400 million — or more than twice that.
It all depends on factors that are still mostly unknown. They range from the design of the new bridge to how swiftly government officials can navigate the bureaucracy of approving permits and awarding contracts.
Realistically, the project could take five to seven years, according to Ben Schafer
, an engineering professor at Johns Hopkins University.
“The lead time on air conditioning equipment right now for a home renovation is like 16 months, right?” Schafer said. He continued: “So it’s like you’re telling me they’re going to build a whole bridge in two years? I want it to be true, but I think empirically it doesn’t feel right to me.”
Others are more optimistic about the potential timeline: Sameh Badie, an engineering professor at George Washington University, said the project could take as little as 18 months to two years.
Biden OKs $60M in aid after Baltimore bridge collapse as governor warns of ‘very long road ahead’
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore warned of a “very long road ahead” to recover from the loss of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge as the Biden administration approved $60 million in immediate federal aid after the deadly collapse.
President Joe Biden has pledged the federal government would pay the full cost of rebuilding the bridge.
The state is “deeply grateful” for the federal funds and support, Moore said. “This work is not going to take hours. This work is not going to take days. This work is not going to take weeks,” Moore said. “We have a very long road ahead of us.”
Central American and Mexican families mourn the workers lost in the Baltimore bridge collapse
The construction workers who went missing in the Baltimore bridge collapse came to the Maryland area from Mexico or Central America, including an enterprising Honduran father and husband who started a delivery business before the pandemic forced him to find other work, according to his family.
Police managed to close bridge traffic seconds before a cargo ship slammed into one of the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s supports early Tuesday, causing the span to fall into the frigid Patapsco River. There wasn’t time for a maintenance crew filling potholes on the span to get to safety.
At least eight people fell into the water and two were rescued. Two bodies were recovered Wednesday and four remained missing and were presumed dead.
The governments of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras confirmed that their citizens were among the missing.
Remains of 2 people recovered after Baltimore Key Bridge collapse
By Jessica Kronzer, Thomas Robertson and Abigail Constantino
Searchers recovered the remains of two people from the Patapsco River after a massive container ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday morning.
The discovery came amid a daylong search for at least six people — all part of a construction crew that was repairing potholes on the Maryland bridge — who plunged into the murky waters after the ship collided with one of the structure’s pillars, sending the bridge tumbling down in a matter of seconds.
Col. Roland Butler, with Maryland State Police, said that a team of divers made the “tragic finding” before 10 a.m.: They found a red pickup truck submerged in about 25 feet of water with two bodies trapped inside.
The victims have been identified as Alejandro Fernandez Fuentes, 35, of Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, of Dundalk. Fuentes was originally from Mexico, while Cabrera was from Guatemala.
Drivers assess wreckage while search for bodies of 6 workers continues
One day after a powerless cargo ship rammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing to crumble, underwater crews are assessing the debris left behind in the Patapsco River while other divers continue to search for the bodies of six construction workers who were on the bridge when it collapsed.
The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search and recovery operation for the workers at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, saying that due to the amount of time that had elapsed since the initial collapse and the cold water temperatures, they did not expect to find any of the workers alive. Unchanged: The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search and recovery operation for the workers at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, saying that due to the amount of time that had elapsed since the initial collapse and the cold water temperatures, they did not expect to find any of the workers alive.
Even though the operation has shifted away from search and rescue, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Wednesday morning there’s still a sense of urgency in the recovery mission.
“The top priority for me right now is still the recovery, we’ve got to bring these families closure,” Moore said Wednesday.
6 construction workers presumed dead after Baltimore Key Bridge collapse, Coast Guard says
By Ciara Wells and Jessica Kronzer
Six construction workers who were on Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge at the time it was rammed by a cargo ship, causing the bridge to collapse, are presumed dead after a search and rescue operation that lasted nearly 18 hours, the U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday night.
Reports came in around 1:40 a.m. Tuesday that a large vessel crashed into a column in the central part of the bridge that carries north and southbound lanes of Interstate 695.
The ship caught on fire, with dark smoke billowing out of the vessel, before it crashed into the support structure.
Baltimore bridge collapse and port closure send companies scrambling to reroute cargo
The stunning collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge is diverting shipping and trucking around one of the busiest ports on America’s East Coast, creating delays and raising costs in the latest disruption to global supply chains.
After the container ship Dali hit the bridge and brought it down, ship traffic entering and leaving the Port of Baltimore was suspended indefinitely. That will require rerouting vessels or their cargo to other ports, potentially causing congestion and delays for importers.
‘I just heard this great big noise’: Md. neighbors recall moment Baltimore’s Key Bridge fell
Dozens of people kept ignoring the “no parking” signs that line Dundalk Avenue to get out of their cars and look beyond the Port of Baltimore toward the Francis Scott Key Bridge — or at least where the Key Bridge is supposed to be.
From there you can see some of it, but the great arching bridge that’s part of the skyline in Baltimore is missing, and even those who heard the crash as it happened overnight had to show up to stare, seeing what they never believed they had heard.
“I was up and I just heard this great big noise and rumbling sound, and I thought it was something going on down my road, so I got up out of my chair and walked outside and there was nothing,” said Frank Wolfe, who lives in Dundalk.
Only when he woke up later on in the morning did he put two and two together.
Listen to what people say they heard in the wee hours of the morning, when a massive container ship hit the bridge and what they saw unfold afterward.
Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapses after ship struck it, sending vehicles into water Content
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, has collapsed after a large container boat collided with it early Tuesday morning.
Reports came in around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday that a large vessel crashed into a column in the central part of the bridge carrying north and southbound lanes of Interstate 695, catching on fire before causing multiple vehicles to fall into the Patapsco River below.
Rescuers were searching for at least seven people in the water.
“This is a dire emergency,” said Kevin Cartwright, with the Baltimore City Fire Department. “Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people.”
