Port Of Baltimore May Regain Permanent Channel Next Month, Army Corps Of Engineers Says
Crews are still working to clear debris from the bridge collapse that occurred last week and presumably killed six construction workers. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced a tentative timeline to reopen the Fort McHenry Channel to the Port of Baltimore by late next month, a plan that could mitigate the economic impact of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. The Corps expects to open a 280-foot wide and 35-foot deep limited access channel to the port within the next four weeks, with the permanent channel potentially reopening as soon as late May. The reopening of the channel could restore port access to normal capacity. The timeline comes after over 500 local businesses affected by the collapse applied for federal disaster loans to cover expenses and operations until the port reopens. The bridge collapse occurred when a cargo ship ran into one of the bridge's support columns, trapping the ship beneath several beams and potentially killing six construction workers.
Published : a month ago by Antonio Pequeño IV in Travel
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Thursday a tentative timeline to reopen the Fort McHenry Channel to the Port of Baltimore by late next month, providing a plan that could ease the economic impact of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse that occurred last week.
The corps said in a statement it expects to open a 280-foot wide and 35-foot deep limited access channel to the Port of Baltimore within the next four weeks, with the Fort McHenry permanent channel reopening as soon as late May, according to the port. The Fort McHenry Channel is 700 feet wide and 50 feet deep. The reopening of the channel could restore port access to normal capacity, the Corps said in its statement. Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon said in the statement the “ambitious timelines” could be impacted by “significant adverse weather conditions or changes in the complexity of the wreckage.” The timeline comes after more than 500 local businesses affected by the collapse of the bridge applied for long-term, low-interest loans to help cover expenses and continue operations until the port reopens.
15,000. That’s how many workers’ jobs have been impacted by the Key Bridge collapse, Small Business Administration official Isabel Casillas Guzman told Forbes on Thursday, noting the administration is still collecting data about the scale of the bridge collapse.
The bridge collapse occurred early last week when a cargo ship ran into one of the bridge’s support columns, trapping the ship beneath several beams and presumably killing six construction workers who were on the bridge as it rapidly collapsed. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the ship’s crew issued a “mayday” alert after the ship experienced a power issue keeping it from avoiding the bridge. Crews are working to move containers from the bow of the ship to a nearby logistics center, according to the Baltimore Banner, which cited officials with the Unified Command. Crews are also working to rig for removal a part of the bridge debris located north of the main channel by Thursday, the Banner reported.
Over 500 Small Businesses Apply For Federal Disaster Loans As Baltimore Bridge Collapse Risks Local Economy—Here’s What To Know (Forbes)
Corps of Engineers gives timeline to reopen Port of Baltimore as crews remove wreckage (Baltimore Banner)