To get to the port of Baltimore, ships need to get past the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Work is being done to clear the way, but there is still a lot to do.
Captain David O’Connell of the U.S. Coast Guard was in charge of the Unified Response to the fall of the bridge. He said that two extra channels are being opened, one in the northeast and one in the south.
Some boats can work in water as little as 10 feet deep, while others can work in water up to 14 feet deep. Boats that need less than 10 feet of water would go to the north side. There is still more trash in the water that needs to be pulled out, according to them, before they can fully work on the South side.
Also, they’ve been working on opening a third port that ships that need up to 25 feet of water could use. But first, the rubble of the ship needs to be cleaned up.
O’Connell said, “In the next few days, I expect commercial ships with smaller drafts and maybe some small tugs.” Continuing, he said, “That’s that 13- to 14-foot draft, but that’s not a lot of ships.” But it’s a step in the right direction toward phase three, which should bring us to a draft of 20 to 25 feet, which would allow a lot more business ships.
Steel beams and other big pieces of metal are still being pulled out of the water to make room for these ports and all the ships that are coming into the port of Baltimore. There were many more steps that had to be taken to get this port back up and running. O’Connell said this was a big step toward helping the marine flow in Baltimore.
