BALTIMORE — Unified Command crews are responding to cleanup efforts in Key Bridge collapse The site is working to clear paths to allow ships to pass the mangled wreckage to Baltimore Harbor.
In an exclusive interview with CBS News, U.S. Coast Guard Capt. David O’Connell, federal on-scene coordinator for the unified response to the bridge collapse, said two auxiliary channels are expected to open Monday: one along the northeast section of the canal. , and one which runs along the south.
The north side will accommodate boats requiring 10 feet of water or less to operate, while the south side will accommodate boats requiring up to 14 feet. There is pre-existing debris along the south side of the canal that the USCG is working to remove.
“We are working with the rescue services to get him out of the water tomorrow,” O’Connell said.
The two temporary canals will be primarily intended for response vessels, commercially essential vehicles and those participating in rescue efforts.
A third, deeper canal is in the works and would require up to 25 feet of depth to operate, but more debris surrounding the colliding ship, the Dali, needs to be removed.
“I anticipate some smaller draft commercial vessels, perhaps a few small tugboats, in the coming days,” O’Connell said. “It’s a draft of 13 to 14 feet, but unfortunately that doesn’t represent a lot of ships. But it’s certainly a start on the path to phase three, which will hopefully take us to a draft of 20 to 25 feet and that would be a lot more commercial vessels.
A 200-ton piece of bridge was removed from the crash site Saturday as crews continued to clear debris from the bridge, which collapsed when it was hit by a cargo ship last week.
“This will mark an important first step on the path to reopening the Port of Baltimore,” Mr. O’Connell said. “By opening this alternative route, we will support the flow of maritime traffic to Baltimore.”
The action is part of a phased approach to opening the main channel, according to Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s office.
The canal will be marked with government-lit navigational aids and will have a control depth of 11 feet, a horizontal clearance of 264 feet and a vertical clearance of 96 feet.
The current 2,000 yard safety zone around the Francis Scott Key Bridge remains in effect and is intended to protect personnel, vessels and the marine environment. No vessel or person will be allowed to enter the security zone without obtaining permission from the COTP or a designated representative, the mayor’s office said.
A survey is also underway to determine the hardness of the ground around the Dali so that a removal strategy can be developed.
The unified command is comprised of the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland Transportation Authority, Maryland State Police and Business Consultant Witt O’Brien’s, who represents Synergy Marine, the Singapore company that managed the striking ship,
The governor’s office told WJZ that cleanup efforts at the Key Bridge wreck site will be a “around the clock” effort until the Port of Baltimore is open again.
Gov. Wes Moore also said the effort is “going to be a long road.”
“It’s a very complex operation, but movements happen,” Moore said on “CNN Sunday Morning.”
Moore says divers were unable to return to the water to search for the missing construction workers because of the weather conditions and all the debris.
Eight men were repairing potholes on the bridge when the cargo ship hit the bridge around 1:30 a.m. last Tuesday. Two were rescued, but the bodies of two men were found in a submerged van and four others remain missing and presumed dead.
“My goal is to make sure that these families get the comfort and closure that they need, to make sure that our first responders get the support that they need, to make sure that we can open those channels and to ensure that we can get this key bridge rebuilt,” Moore said.
On CBS News’ “Face the Nation” Sunday, Scott said he plans to meet with union leaders and Baltimore port workers on Monday to discuss ways to support them during inbound and outbound travel of the port is closed.
“To talk about what kind of other supports they need while we all reflect and think about how we can support them and maintain as much trade flow as possible,” Scott said. “It’s going to be a long road. It’s not going to be a sprint.”
Meanwhile, cruise passengers, including Zach Ocanas, are back in Maryland.
Ocanas went on a carnival cruise a week ago. The canal being closed, his ship had to dock in Norfolk Sunday morningand the passengers took a four-hour bus trip back to Baltimore.
Ocanas took a ride with a family member who lives locally.
“We were super on time, Ocanas said. “And they had like buses waiting outside, like there was just a huge bus ready. All the Carnival staff were ready to go and the local police were ready to guide us to the buses and everything else.”
If you find debris, call the hotline at 410-205-6625.
Jessica Albert
Grub5
