Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Salvage crews are continuing preparations for the removal of the large bridge piece on top of the Dali.

Before removing the bridge piece, salvage teams will consider various hazards and obstacles such as crushed containers, hull damage, and weight shifts that are likely to occur with the removal of the piece and refloating of the ship.

The safety of the salvage crew members remains a top priority during the operations. Expectedly.

Salvors with the Unified Command continue wreckage removal from the M/V DALI, May 5, 2024, during the Key Bridge Response 2024. Debris and wreckage removal is ongoing in support of a top priority to safely and efficiently open the Fort McHenry Channel. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Christopher Rosario)

Specialized equipment is being used to monitor the position and movement of the Dali and the bridge wreckage it is in contact with.

“We’ve got a total of six of, what we call, inclinometers that measure tilt on key locations of the span and key locations of the ship so we can watch how it’s pitching and rolling with tide, and wind,” said Rob Ruthledge, a contractor working for the Key Bridge Unified Command. “We have a sensor measuring the relative position of the span on the ship so we can see, if for some reason, it starts to slip. We also have what are called string gauges, which can measure, in real-time, the stress, while they are performing operations.”

Crews are working to remove parts of bridge span 17 that are in contact with the opposite side of the Dali.

Salvage crews are preparing to remove the section of the Key Bridge that is lying on top of the M/V Dali.

The task involves delicately handling roadbed material, crushed containers, and remains of the bridge on the ship’s bow. The removal is in preparation for the refloating of the Dali. USACE has estimated there is 3,000 to 4,000-tons of bridge wreckage on the Dali, which is essentially pinning it to bottom/piling.

“The complexities of this next phase of operations require thorough preparation, strategic planning, and specialized expertise,” said Capt. David O’Connell, Federal On-Scene Coordinator, Key Bridge Unified Command. “We have the right team making this work happen in the safest and most efficient way possible.”

Officials aim to remove the Dali by May 10, after which a 45-foot-deep section of the main shipping channel is expected to reopen.