Crews in Baltimore detonated controlled explosives on Monday to remove a large section of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge from the bow of the container ship Dali, according to officials.
The demolition occurred after 5 p.m. after weather conditions delayed the operation over the weekend.
Precision cuts using small charges were made along pieces of the bridge's span that had been lying on top of the Dali's bow since the massive ship lost power and collided with one of the bridge’s support columns on March 26, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Baltimore District.
Officials said the detonation went as planned. They said the next step in the dynamic cleanup process is to assess the few remaining trusses on the Dali’s bow and make sure none of the underwater wreckage is preventing the ship from being refloated and moved.
Officials expect to refloat the ship within the next few days. Then three or four tugboats will guide it to a nearby terminal at the port. It will likely remain there for a several weeks and undergo temporary repairs before being moved to a shipyard for more substantial repairs.
“This was a very big milestone for our progression forward,” Col. Estee Pinchasin, Baltimore District Commander for the Army Corps of Engineers, said in the immediate aftermath of the demolition. She said crews don’t anticipate having to use any more explosives.
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Source: The Associated Press, USA Today
