‘Daunting’ Cleanup of Baltimore Bridge Begins as Investigation Into Collapse Could Last 2 Years

The cargo ship Dali is stuck under part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship hit the bridge, in Baltimore on March 26, 2024. Maryland National Guard via AP, File

With what’s shaping up to be a long-running investigation into the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, attention is now turning to the massive cleanup operation that Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has described as a “daunting” task.

A crane described as the largest on the Eastern Seabord that can lift 1,000 tons appeared near the site of the collapsed highway bridge at the Port of Baltimore on March 29, as crews prepared to begin clearing the wreckage.

Other tools needed for the salvage operation have also been coming into place, including six other floating cranes, 10 tugboats, nine barges, eight salvage vessels, and five Coast Guard boats.

The wreckage has blocked ships from entering and leaving the Port of Baltimore, a vital port that accounts for 4 percent of East Coast trade. Clearing the remnants of the collapsed bridge—with some chunks weighing a massive 4,000 tons—is a key task as the blockage threatens supply chains and the local economy.

U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said at a March 29 press conference that experts are trying to figure out how to break up the biggest sections of the collapsed bridge into “right-sized pieces” that can be lifted.

‘Daunting’ Task, ‘Long’ CleanUp

The Maryland governor surveyed the scene on March 29 and was awe-struck at the formidable task that teams of engineers must now contend with as they try to clear the wreckage.

“To go out there and see it up close, you realize just how daunting a task this is,” Mr. Moore said.

“With a salvage operation this complex—and frankly with a salvation operation this unprecedented—you need to plan for every single moment.”

Even though crews will try to clear the wreckage as fast as they can, officials say it will likely be weeks before the job is done.

“I don’t think we’re talking days, I don’t think we’re talking months ... I think we’re talking weeks,” Scott Spellmon, commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said on March 29, according to CNN.

“I just can’t put a number on it yet until we get our analysis complete.”

He said it would take several days to examine the wreckage, including the massive steel trusses that weigh thousands of tons, which engineers must analyze carefully piece by piece.

Barges with cranes float near a damaged section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 29, 2024. Mark Schiefelbein /AP Photo

The Maryland governor said the job would be “incredibly complex” and that the timeline for the cleanup operation “will be long.”

Alongside the wreckage salvage efforts, there are also attempts to recover the bodies of four workers who are still missing and are presumed dead.

So far, two bodies have been recovered in search-and-recovery efforts following the collapse.

Economic Impact

Besides the human toll, the economic impact of the collapse is coming into sharper focus as experts warn of supply chain upheaval.

Container vessels have been searching for alternative ports to ship their goods to, according to Mike DeAngelis, head of ocean at real-time supply chain visibility provider FourKites Inc.

However, for containers waiting to leave the Port of Baltimore, the situation could be more complicated.

“Any containers already waiting for export from the Port of Baltimore will need to either wait for the eventual reopening of the waterway or be gated out of the terminals and transported to one of these alternate ports,” Mr. DeAngelis told The Epoch Times.

“It is too soon to know to what degree, however, this will inevitably have an impact on the cargo flows and infrastructure.”

The automobile industry, which saw roughly 850,000 vehicles shipped in and out of the Port of Baltimore last year, is likely to be significantly affected by the port’s blockage.

Mr. Moore said the disaster would affect not just his state but the entire country.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore speaks at a press conference at Tradepoint Atlantic in Sparrows Point, Md., on March 29, 2024. Brian Witte /AP Photo

The Biden administration has approved $60 million in immediate aid, and President Joe Biden has said that the federal government will pay the full cost of the bridge’s reconstruction.

Investigation Could Last 2 Years

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said at a March 27 briefing that the investigation into the circumstances of the collapse could take up to two years.

“It’s a massive undertaking for an investigation,” said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. “We will be able to pull this together in hopefully 12 to 24 months.”

Investigators have found the ship’s voyage data recorder, which is similar to a black box data recorder used on airplanes.

NTSB officials said an audio recording on the device indicates that the operator of the ship radioed for help from nearby tugboats and reported a power loss moments before the crash.

Investigators said at the press conference that the ship was carrying more than 50 hazardous material containers when it struck the bridge.

Some of the containers were breached, with Ms. Homendy saying that the materials included corrosives, flammables, and some miscellaneous hazardous materials such as lithium-ion batteries.

It remains unclear how many containers were breached as the investigation continues, and NTSB officials said they would not provide any of their findings while the investigation remains ongoing.

Andrew Moran and Katabella Roberts contributed to this report.