Crews Transport 450-Ton Piece of Collapsed Key Bridge

TL/DR –

The ruins of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, including a piece weighing approximately 450 tons, are being cleared from the Patapsco River in order to reopen the Port of Baltimore. The cleanup operation involves hundreds of engineers, workers, and divers working round-the-clock to remedy the situation which has significantly impacted both local and national economies. Despite the significant pressures and complexities of the project, officials remain on schedule to clear a temporary shipping channel within a few weeks, and hope to fully reopen the port by the end of May.

Removal of Francis Scott Key Bridge Debris

With a weight approximating 450 tons, the rubble of the Francis Scott Key Bridge is almost twice the weight of the Statue of Liberty. Crews are working round the clock to clean up the mess and reopen the Port of Baltimore, making this piece of the debris a significant challenge.

The Cleanup Operation

Engineers, workers, and divers have all been summoned to the site of what could be regarded as the most costly maritime disaster in history. The enormous chunks of steel and concrete have paralyzed the Port of Baltimore and caused economic harm both locally and nationally. The complex, highly dangerous task of reopening the port by the end of May, as pledged by Gov. Wes Moore, is carefully managed by the Key Bridge Unified Command to ensure workers’ safety.

The Salvage Challenge

The challenge of moving the 450-ton piece is a major logistical feat even by standards set by other massive recovery operations such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup. The process begins with divers surveying the wreckage, determining its form and where it needs to be cut for lifting, under difficult conditions with visibility as low as 1-2 feet.

The Lifting Process

The Chesapeake 1000, one of the largest floating cranes on the East Coast, was deployed to handle the largest pieces of the bridge. This structure can lift up to 1,000 tons and was used for the first time to lift the 450-ton piece, much lighter than anticipated as the roadbed detached from the bridge and remained underwater.

Dealing with the Debris

The giant 9-story tall section was transported to Sparrows Point, an industrial area of Baltimore’s waterfront. The section was cut into two more manageable pieces, and later, a backhoe equipped with a claw attachment was used to tear at the bridge section. Meanwhile, local companies are assisting with recycling the debris as much as possible.

Reopening the Port

The cleanup operation remains on track to clear a temporary 35-foot deep channel in the coming weeks to allow more shipping into the Port of Baltimore. The full channel is expected to reopen by the end of May, despite the ongoing FBI criminal investigation into the disaster.

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