Access to the eastern US port of Baltimore is fully open to maritime traffic, the US Army announced two and a half months after a bridge collapsed blocking the canal.
On Monday, the US military announced that the canal had been restored “to its original operational dimensions: 700 feet wide and 50 feet deep to accommodate commercial maritime traffic through the Port of Baltimore.”
“Approximately 50,000 tons of bridge debris, including steel and cement, were removed from the mouth of the Patapsco River,” they added in a statement.
Officials said a total of 56 federal, state and local agencies took part in the rescue efforts, including about 500 experts from around the world who operated a fleet of 18 barges, 22 tugboats, 13 floating cranes, 10 excavators and four survey vehicles. boats.
On March 26, the Dali container ship suffered a breakdown and collided with the Francis Scott Key Highway Bridge, which collapsed. Six workers carrying out repair work on the bridge, all immigrants from Latin America, were killed.
The 300-meter-long, Singapore-flagged vessel partially blocked access to an important trading port on the US east coast until it was removed on May 20.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge served as an important highway axis in the northeastern United States, connecting the capital of Washington, D.C. with New York City.
Thousands of dockworkers, truck drivers and small business owners saw their jobs impacted by the collapse.
U.S. officials have said they hope to have the bridge restored by 2028.
The Port of Baltimore is the center of new vehicle trade in the United States, handling approximately 850,000 cars and trucks in 2023, more than any other North American port.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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