Engineering reports, Maryland Department of Transportation announcements

Cargo Ship Dali to Be Refloated Monday at High Tide After Destroying Baltimore Bridge

May 19, 2024, 05:54 PM

The cargo ship Dali, which crashed into and destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in March, is set to be refloated and moved to a marine terminal on Monday morning. The operation, involving the use of giant floating cranes and explosives, will commence at high tide, predicted to be around 5:20 a.m. on Monday. Preparations for the refloating began on Sunday, with the full sequence estimated to start 18 hours beforehand. The Unified Command has announced the plan, and Maryland Governor Wes Moore confirmed that the ship will be removed 'within days.' The collision had resulted in the closure of Baltimore Harbor and significant damage to the bridge, with reinforced concrete columns and deck remaining during the transit. The ship had been stuck to a portion of the bridge weighing 8-12 million pounds. The goal is to reopen the full depth navigable channel before the end of May.