Baltimore Harbor is set to reopen the channel blocked by the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse partially by the end of April.
The United States Army Corps of Engineers announced a tentative timeline for the reopening of the Fort McHenry Channel on Thursday — predicting it will be partially reopened by the end of April and fully reopened by the end of May.
“Thanks to the exhaustive work of the Unified Command during the last two weeks, including underwater surveys and detailed structural analysis of the wreckage, we’ve developed a better understanding of the immense and complex work that lies ahead,” said Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon, USACE commanding general. “A fully opened federal channel remains our primary goal, and we will carry out this work with care and precision, with safety as our chief priority.”
He acknowledged the timeline is ambitious and may be affected by factors outside the USACE’s control.
“These are ambitious timelines that may still be impacted by significant adverse weather conditions or changes in the complexity of the wreckage,” Spellmon added. “We are working quickly and safely to clear the channel and restore full service at this port that is so vital to the nation. At the same time, we continue to keep faith with the families of the missing and are working with our partners to help locate and recover their loved ones.”
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The USACE plans to open a 280-foot-wide and 35-foot-deep corridor into Baltimore Harbor first, then expand it to be a 700-foot-wide and 50-foot-deep channel. The latter channel would allow the port to operate at full capacity.
The clearing will only clear up part of the destroyed bridge, with the rest taking months more. Reconstruction of the bridge will take even longer, and experts estimate that it may take years to do so.
