In the accident on March 26th, six construction workers died on the bridge. After the US Army and Navy salvage and diving supervisors cleared 50000 tons of debris from the accident, the passage resumed operation.
The US Army stated that an investigation has shown that the riverbed is safe for ships, and the Fort McHenry Federal Waterway has been restored to its original operational size of 700 feet wide and 50 feet deep.
"Although the overall goal of restoring the full operational capability of the federal channel has been successful, we are thinking every day about those who lost their lives, their families, and workers in this tragic event," said Colonel Este Pinchasin, commander of the Baltimore region.
After the collapse of the bridge, the Dali, which was then chartered by Maersk Shipping Company, was trapped under the wreckage of the Patapsco River. On May 14th, the US Army used explosives to destroy a piece of debris weighing 4000 tons, liberated the ship, and then towed it to the Seagirt shipping terminal.
In April this year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began investigating this collapse incident. In May of this year, the National Transportation Safety Board of the United States stated that the USS Dali had experienced several power outages before coming into contact with a pier of the bridge.
A civil lawsuit has been filed against the owner of the Dali, Grace Ocean, headquartered in Singapore, and the ship management company Synergy Marine. The defendant denies that they caused the incident and demands compensation of $43.6 million.
The reconstruction of this bridge in Maryland, where Baltimore is located, is estimated to cost $1.7 billion to $1.9 billion and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2028.
Consulting firm predicts that due to Baltimore handling slightly over 1 million TEUs annually, accounting for only 4.5% of the container throughput on the East Coast of the United States, the impact on container transportation will be minimal.
