BALTIMORE — The Port of Baltimore’s main shipping channel reopened Monday. The channel had been blocked after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River, when it was struck by the container ship Dali on March 26. The reopened shipping lane will allow Norfolk Southern and CSX to resume normal intermodal operations through the port [See “Baltimore bridge tragedy to effect rail traffic … ,” News Wire, March 26, 2024].
The Fort McHenry Channel has been restored to its original 50-foot depth, 700-foot horizontal clearance, with a 214-foot vertical clearance for Baltimore Gas & Electric power lines, says U.S. Coast Guard. Deep draft vessels still require a Maryland state pilot and an escort tug. The temporary alternate channels, says the Coast Guard, will remain open until around June 30.
Six road workers, who were on the bridge at the time of its collapse, died. The port has been closed due to the massive cleanup effort.
“We’ve cleared the Fort McHenry Federal Channel for safe transit,” says Col. Estee Pinchasin, Baltimore District Commander, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, in a statement. “Although the overarching goal to restore full operational capacity to the Federal Channel was successful, each day we thought of those who lost their lives, their families and the workers impacted by this tragic event.”
The massive cleanup response included: More than 2,000 people and subject matter experts, nearly 25 tugboats, 13 floating cranes, and 10 excavators.
During the shutdown, Norfolk Southern provided a dedicated intermodal service between the Port of New York and New Jersey’s Elizabeth Marine Terminal and Baltimore’s Seagirt Marine Terminal. NS also provided service to move cargo diverted from Baltimore to Virginia’s Lamberts Point.
In May, CSX was able to reopen its Curtis Bay coal pier in Baltimore Harbor. The pier is one of CSX’s largest coal export facilities [See “Coal exports resuming through port of Baltimore,” News Wire, May 22, 2024].
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