Officials aim for limited access to Port of Baltimore within 4 weeks, full access by end of May

The Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday evening it hopes to open up a limited access channel for the Port of Baltimore within four weeks and to restore a permanent channel to the port by the end of May.

What officials acknowledged was an ambitious timeline was greeted with enthusiasm by Gov. Wes Moore.

“As we learned this evening, this ambitious timeline proposed by the Army Corps of Engineers offers a level of clarity and certainty that Baltimore needs to hear so we can collectively plan for continued recovery efforts – related to both our economy and our infrastructure,” Moore said in a statement. “We and our partners across all levels of government have been pushing for a timeline, and now we have a target. We must do everything we can to meet that target.

The Corps of Engineers announcement said that the limited access channel in the Patapsco River would be 280 feet wide and 35 feet deep and support one-way traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore for barge container service and some roll on/roll off vessels that move automobiles and farm equipment to and from the port.

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Engineers are aiming to reopen the permanent, 700-foot-wide by 50-foot-deep federal navigation channel by the end of May, restoring port access to normal capacity.

The port, a foundation of the region’s economy, has been closed to vessels since March 26, when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being struck by the cargo ship Dali, which lost power shortly after leaving Baltimore, bound for Sri Lanka. The ship issued a mayday alert with just enough time for police to stop traffic, but not enough to save a roadwork crew filling potholes on the bridge.

Authorities believe six of the workers plunged to their deaths in the collapse, including two whose bodies were recovered last week. Two others survived. The ship remains stationary, its 21 crew members still aboard.

“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.”

“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.”