Crashed ship Dali that took down Baltimore bridge refloated, towed from channel

MARYLAND – Recovery teams refloated a huge cargo vessel impeding shipping in the Port of Baltimore early on May 20 and began pulling it free of the main channel, almost two months after

the vessel downed the Francis Scott Key Bridge

and caused the span to collapse.

Tugboats were leading the Dali to a local marine terminal after a successful effort to make the container ship buoyant at about 6.40am (6.40pm, Singapore time), the US Army Corps of Engineers said on social media platform X. 

The removal of the Dali marked a significant step in the Port of Baltimore’s recovery from the boat’s March 26 collision with one of the bridge’s support pillars.

The bridge’s collapse killed six road workers and hindered traffic through the busiest port for car shipments in the US.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore told NBC’s Meet the Press that workers were on track to completely clear the channel in May, which would restore full access to the busiest port for car shipments in the US.

“By the end of May, we’ll have that federal channel reopened and within days, we’re going to have that massive vessel, the Dali, out of that federal channel,” he said.

Federal investigators said in a preliminary report last week that the Dali had lost power several times before crashing into the bridge.

The authorities have opened four temporary channels since the crash, allowing some shipping to resume.

Crews set off controlled explosions last week to allow them to remove a portion of the fallen bridge from the bow of the Dali, which was necessary to next allow salvage crews to haul away the twisted metal wreckage using cranes and barges, the US Army Corps of Engineers said.

Maryland state officials estimate it will cost US$1.7 billion (S$2.29 billion) to US$1.9 billion to rebuild the bridge and anticipate completion by autumn 2028. REUTERS