Engineers are expected to set off controlled explosives in the remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s steel on Sunday to help remove debris from the cargo ship that crashed in March.
The explosives will break up a large portion of the farm at specific locations to allow “rescuers to use cranes and barges already on site to remove these sections of the bridge and ultimately remove the MV Dali from the canal,” the Unified Command said , the group in charge of recovery and rescue operations, said in a statement.
Unified Command salvors prepare loads for upcoming precision cuts to remove Section 4 from the port side of the M/V DALI’s bow, April 21, 2024, during Key Bridge 2024 Response.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Christopher Rosario
“By using precision cuts, we reduce risk to our personnel and can continue to safely and efficiently clear the channel for the Port of Baltimore,” said Capt. David O’Connell, Key Bridge federal on-scene coordinator Response, in a press release.
Officials said hearing protection would not be required outside of a 2,000-yard radius of the site.
Unified Command salvors prepare loads for upcoming precision cuts to remove Section 4 from the port side of the M/V DALI’s bow, April 21, 2024, during Key Bridge 2024 Response.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Christopher Rosario
“Sound levels outside the noise radius will be no louder than a standard fireworks display and will last two to five seconds,” the unified command said.
A cellphone alert will be sent to residents to warn them of the explosion, the unified command said.
The cargo ship has been stuck in place since it hit the bridge early in the morning of March 26 after the ship malfunctioned.
Body camera footage of the incident, which was released Friday by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources in response to a public records request from ABC News, shows officers taking a close look at the location formerly the bridge.
Wreckage removal is underway on the M/V DALI to prepare for refloating and removal of the vessel from the Fort McHenry Federal Shipping Channel, April 21, 2024.
Christopher Rosario/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District
“There’s no bridge,” one officer can be heard saying. “The entire central span has completely disappeared. It’s in the water.”
Another officer said he encountered a “large debris field” with containers on the riverbank closest to Baltimore. In one video, he can be heard shouting towards the freighter asking if anyone was hurt. Someone on the ship responded that his finger had been cut off.
The bridge almost completely collapsed and caused huge logistical delays at the Port of Baltimore. Six construction workers who were on the bridge at the time were killed in the incident.
Unified Command salvors prepare loads for upcoming precision cuts to remove Section 4 from the port side of the M/V DALI’s bow, May 7, 2024, during Key Bridge 2024 Response.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Christopher Rosario
The incident remains under investigation and recovery efforts continue.
ABC News’ Jared Kofsky and Josh Margolin contributed to this report.
ABC News
