Baltimore shipping channel fully reopens after Key Bridge collapse

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The main shipping channel that was blocked when a cargo ship brought down the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, was fully reopened, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) said on Monday.

“We are proud of the unified efforts that fully reopened the Federal Channel to port operations,” said Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, commanding general of USACE.

The waterway was restored to its original operational dimensions of 700 feet wide and 50 feet deep for commercial maritime transit through the Port of Baltimore after the removal of 50,000 tons of debris from the Patapsco River, the USACE said.

The container ship Dali, carrying nearly 4,700 containers, struck the bridge in March, leaving six people dead. The collapse of the structure brought traffic to a halt at one of the busiest ports in the US.

US President Joe Biden had said the federal government would "move heaven and earth" to rebuild the bridge, which has been met with backlash from Republican lawmakers concerned about excessive government spending.