New shipping channel allows first ship to leave Port of Baltimore
The first commercial vessel transits through the Limited Access Channel in Baltimore, Maryland, April 25, 2024. (Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command photo by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Visual Information Specialist Christopher Rosario)
BALTIMORE - For the first time since a cargo ship took down the Francis Scott Key Bridge, another cargo vessel safely sailed out of Baltimore on Thursday. It was the first use of a new deep-water channel that could allow some traffic to flow in and out of the stricken port.
Two tugboats helped guide the M/V Balsa 94, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier, through the new 35-foot Patapsco River channel. The ship was one of five stuck in the Port of Baltimore since the deadly crash four weeks ago.
The much larger cargo ship Dali is still blocking the main 50-foot-deep channel, along with debris from the bridge and roadway. Six construction workers died when the span plunged into the river after the out-of-control powerless ship hit the support structure.
The Balsa 94 sails through the new deep-water channel, marked by red and green navigation buoys. (Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command photo by Petty Officer First Class Claudio Giugliano)
The new channel will remain open until early next week, allowing the rest of the stranded ships to leave the port and others to sail in. It will close again until roughly May 10 while crews work to remove steel from the Dali and refloat the ship, which will then be guided back into the port, officials said earlier this week.
After the Dali has been removed, the port's main channel can reopen and normal traffic can resume in and out of the port, which is a key East Coast hub for shipping cars and farm equipment.
Debris and wreckage removal a top priority to safely and efficiently open the Fort McHenry Channel. (Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command photo by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Visual Information Specialist Christopher Rosario)
RELATED: City of Baltimore files claim against owner, manager of ship that caused collapse
The FBI and the National Transportation Safety Board are conducting probes to determine what caused the ship to lose power and strike the bridge.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.