The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, killing a work crew and halting most maritime traffic through the city’s port.
The Balsa 94, a bulk carrier sailing under a Panama flag, passed through the new 35ft channel headed for Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, on Thursday. Two more commercial ships followed later, including a vehicle carrier headed to Panama.
Their long-awaited voyages marked an important step in the ongoing cleanup and recovery effort as crews have been working around the clock to clear thousands of tons of mangled steel and concrete from the entrance to Baltimore’s harbor.
Five vessels that have been stranded for weeks are expected to finally leave Baltimore through the new, temporary channel. Other ships are scheduled to enter the port, which normally processes more cars and farm equipment than any other in the country.
Thousands of longshoremen, truckers and small business owners have seen their jobs affected by the collapse, prompting local and state officials to prioritize reopening the port and restoring its traffic to normal capacity in hopes of easing the economic ripple effects of the collapse. Officials have also established various assistance programs for unemployed workers and others hit by the closure.
The Balsa 94 moved through the channel guided by two tug boats, one in front and one behind. It glided slowly past the fallen bridge and grounded Dali, the enormous container ship that caused the collapse when it slammed into one of the bridge’s support columns.
Pieces of the steel span are still blocking other parts of the port’s main channel, which has a controlling depth of 50ft, enough to accommodate some of the largest cargo and cruise ships on the water. The Balsa 94 is expected to arrive in Canada on Monday.
The Dali lost power and veered off course shortly after leaving the Port of Baltimore bound for Sri Lanka last month.
Six members of a roadwork crew – all Latino immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras – plunged to their deaths in the collapse. Four bodies have been recovered from the underwater wreckage while two remain missing.
A growing memorial for the victims stands near the south end of the bridge.