Baltimore salvage crews plan to use explosives to dislodge a massive section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s truss from the cargo ship Dali, WBAL-TV reported Tuesday.
Officials determined it safe for the crew of the cargo ship Dali to remain onboard during the planned detonation of explosives, according to a report from Unified Command’s Petty Officer Ronald Hodges, who spoke with WBAL-TV. Despite the operation’s complexities, the safety measures have been deemed adequate, although Hodges did not provide specifics on where exactly the crew will be located during the explosion.
Explosives will be used to free Dali cargo ship from Baltimore Key Bridge wreckage: report https://t.co/Cm3lyoTPyX pic.twitter.com/AaFUtMVsE9
— New York Post (@nypost) May 7, 2024
Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore pointed out that the techniques employed adhere to proven methods for safely removing significant quantities of steel.
“What they’re doing are best practices and historic best practices, and the way that you remove large amounts of steel,” Moore said, WBAL-TV reported. “We know that as soon as that operation, that precision cutting is done, then we also have the tools to be able to remove that steel from the water, to safely refloat the Dali, and to reopen up the federal channel.” (RELATED: Biden Admin Approves $60 Million Request To Aid Baltimore Bridge Collapse)
The process of placing the precision explosives will take several days, influenced by factors such as weather and tidal conditions. Media will be notified 48 hours before the explosion occurs, according to WBAL-TV. Unified Command has been actively preparing for the demolition, employing a giant hydraulic claw and precision-cutting tools to remove as much debris as possible beforehand. This preparation aims to minimize the blast radius and ensure debris falls straight down, rather than scattering laterally, which could increase risks or cause further complications.