Baltimore Harbor Navigation Channel Fully Restored After Bridge Collapse

The federal navigation channel for Baltimore harbor was fully restored on Monday, June 10, just 76 days after the Dali ship knocked down the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The US Army Corp of Engineers confirmed the restoration of the 700-foot wide and 50-foot-deep channel after receiving final results from underwater surveys. Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, commanding general of USACE, expressed pride in the unified efforts that led to the reopening of the Federal Channel for port operations.

The last major piece of wreckage, a 90-ton steel section, was successfully removed from the mud on June 7 by the Chesapeake 1000 floating crane. Following the removal, a detailed process of sweeping the area with sonar, LIDAR, and a magnetometer was conducted to ensure the safety of the riverbed for navigation. The survey certified on June 10 confirmed the riverbed was safe for transit.

The recovery work, which began on March 30, involved the removal of approximately 50,000 tons of bridge wreckage from the Patapsco River. The Unified Command, comprising six agencies and over 1,500 responders, led the response efforts. Surveying and removal of steel below the mud-line will continue to prevent impacts on future dredging operations. The focus has now shifted to replacement efforts, with Maryland’s Transportation Authority initiating the process to develop a new bridge expected to be completed by the fall of 2028 at a cost of $1.7 billion.

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