The controlled demolition of the largest remaining steel span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore appeared to be a success on Monday.
The demolition occurred shortly after 5 p.m.
Crews have been preparing for weeks to use explosives to break down the span, which is an estimated 500 feet (152 meters) long and weighs up to 600 tons (544 metric tons).
It landed on the ship’s bow after the Dali lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s support columns shortly after leaving Baltimore. Since then, the ship has been stuck amidst the wreckage and Baltimore’s busy port has been closed to most maritime traffic.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and other leaders including U.S. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott held a press conference Monday saying work to get the port back open is on track.
"We are now very close to fully clearing the channel. And we are already getting large ships in and out of the Port of Baltimore. Over the next week we are expecting about 30 vessels and barges at the Port’s public and private terminals."
Six members of a roadwork crew plunged to their deaths in the March 26 collapse. The last of their bodies was recovered from the underwater wreckage last week. All the victims were Latino immigrants who came to the U.S. for job opportunities. They were filling potholes on an overnight shift when the bridge was destroyed.
The controlled demolition will allow the Dali to be refloated and guided back into the Port of Baltimore. Once the ship is removed, maritime traffic can begin returning to normal, which will provide relief for thousands of longshoremen, truckers and small business owners who have seen their jobs impacted by the closure.
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