(Baltimore) Engineering crews work Saturday on the complex process of cutting and lifting the first section of twisted steel from the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland.
The bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River on Tuesday when a huge cargo ship crashed into one of its main supports.
Sparks could be seen flying from a section of bent and crumpled steel Saturday afternoon. The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that work had begun to remove part of the structure.
Crews are carefully measuring and cutting steel from the broken bridge before attaching straps so it can be placed on a barge and taken away, Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said Saturday.
Seven floating cranes, including one capable of lifting 1,000 tons, 10 tugboats, nine barges, eight rescue vessels and five Coast Guard boats are on site in the waters southeast of Baltimore.
Each move affects what happens next and, ultimately, how long it will take to clear all the debris and reopen the ship canal and blocked Baltimore Harbor, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said.
“I cannot stress enough the importance of today and the first maneuver to move this bridge and the wreck. This is going to be a remarkably complicated process,” Mr. Moore said.
One of crews’ first goals on the water is to open a smaller auxiliary channel so tugboats and other small barges can move freely. The teams also want to stabilize the scene so that divers can continue their search for four workers missing and presumed dead.
Two workers were rescued from the water in the hours after the bridge collapsed Tuesday morning, and the bodies of two others were found in a van that plunged into the river. They had filled the holes in the bridge, and although police were able to stop vehicle traffic after the ship called for help, they were unable to reach the construction crew from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
The crew of the freighter Dali remains on board with the debris of the deck surrounding it. They are safe and are being questioned. They keep the ship running, as they will be needed to move it out of the canal once the debris is removed.
The collision and collapse appear to be an accident that occurred after the ship lost power. Federal and state investigators are still trying to determine why.
Maryland transportation officials are considering rebuilding the bridge, promising to consider innovative designs or construction materials to shorten a project that could take years.
President Joe Biden’s administration approved $60 million in immediate aid and promised the federal government would pay the entire cost of rebuilding.