Baltimore shipping channel fully reopens after bridge collapse

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Monday said the Fort McHenry Federal Channel was restored to its full operational capacity. Authorities restricted Port of Baltimore channel traffic on March 26 after the cargo ship Dali struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Six construction workers died when the bridge collapsed following the collision.

Crews removed about 50,000 tons of wreckage from the Patapsco River, according to the Army Corps, and temporary shipping channels were opened during the cleanup. The Key Bridge Response Unified Command team on Monday said the riverbed was safe for transit.

Why is the channel significant? The Port of Baltimore is one of the busiest ports in the United States. It handles more cars and farm equipment than any other port in the country, according to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.

What caused the accident? The National Transportation Safety Board last month released a preliminary report that found the Dali experienced two power outages while docked the day before the crash. It then experienced two more blackouts right before the collision. The NTSB has not released its full report.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report in The Stew about the fund to repair the Baltimore bridge running into roadblocks.