Removal of collapsed bridge in Baltimore has begun, ‘complicated job’

In the American city of Baltimore, a start has been made on cleaning up the devastation from last Tuesday’s bridge tragedy. The Francis Scott Key Bridge almost completely collapsed on Tuesday after a rudderless container ship crashed into a pier. Six people were killed, but the bodies of four people are still missing.

Seven floating cranes, ten tugboats, nine ships and eight salvage vessels have been deployed to manage the operation. According to Governor Moore of the state of Maryland, it will be an incredibly complicated job. Employees of specialized companies have been busy measuring and cutting bridge parts since last night Dutch time. These bridge parts will later be lifted onto a barge to be removed.

The enormous steel struts of the bridge are cut with welding torches:

The intention is to make an opening in the rubble so that more ships can arrive at the accident site. According to Governor Moore, it will certainly not take hours or days. The search for the four missing people is currently on hold because, according to the governor, it is too dangerous for divers to search around the rubble.

The ship that sailed against a pier is still at the site of the accident and will remain there for the time being. Part of the bridge rests on the container ship. Removing that ship is not a priority now and according to the governor it is not clear when the ship can be removed. The container ship is damaged, but intact. The crew is also still on board.

Major economic consequences

The accident may have major economic consequences for the region. The Port of Baltimore is one of the most important ports on the American east coast. The automotive, construction and agricultural sectors, among others, ship many goods via the port.

The federal government in Washington has promised to pay for a new bridge. The state of Maryland wants to use “innovative techniques” to accelerate the construction of the new bridge. Normally the construction work could take years.

The Biden administration has also allocated $60 million to contribute to removing the rubble and repairing the bridge. The state of Maryland has also promised help for businesses and people left out of work by the incident. An estimated 15,000 people have had little to do since the accident.

View the images of the bridge collapse: