UPDATE 30: Key Bridge Response Unified Command Moves Dali, Restores use of Federal Channel
Monday, May 20, 2024
BALTIMORE – Salvors working with the Key Bridge Response Unified Command refloated and moved the M/V Dali Monday at approximately 7 a.m.

 

With the assistance of five tugboats and other support vessels, the M/V Dali was towed and pushed 2.5 miles, arriving at a local marine terminal at approximately 9 a.m.

 

This milestone allows all pre-collapse deep-draft commercial vessels to enter and exit the Port of Baltimore.
 

“The Unified Command continues to clear the remaining wreckage from the Fort McHenry Federal Channel,” said the Unified Command in a joint statement. “We’re pleased to see the successful refloating and moving of the M/V Dail today to its new location. We won’t slow down until the channel is fully restored.”

 

The Unified Command anticipates the operational width of the federal channel will soon be 400 feet wide to a depth of 50 feet. With the removal of the 158-foot-wide M/V Dali, Unified Command salvage crews, using crane and barge assets already on site, will work to remove any remaining bridge wreckage. This effort will continue until the federal channel is restored to its original width of 700 feet and all steel below the mudline is removed.
 

The Maryland Transportation Authority will continue to oversee the removal of the remaining steel and concrete outside of the federal channel.

 

“This marks the resumption of commercial vessel transits in and out of the Port of Baltimore,” said the Unified Command. “This truly signifies the next chapter in restoring the waterway commerce in this region, which also serves as the economic engine for thousands of workers and their families who depend on commerce traveling through the Port of Baltimore.”
 

To restore Baltimore cruise ship commerce, the six entities of the Unified Command are relocating from the Maryland Cruise Terminal to their respective worksites. As such, the Joint Information Center’s phone number has changed to 505-929-5971. The response website [keybridgeresponse2024.com] will remain active. For agency-specific questions, media members are asked to reach out to the following points of contact:


 

●      U.S. Coast Guard: D5PublicAffairs@uscg.mil

●      U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: nab-pao@usace.army.mil

●      Maryland Department of the Environment: editor.mde@maryland.gov

●      Maryland Transportation Authority: mdtapios@mdta.maryland.gov 

●      Maryland State Police: msp.media@maryland.gov

●      Witt O’Brien’s representing Synergy Marine: KeyBridgeJIC@gmail.com