Francis Scott Key Bridge removal delayed until Monday due to weather

Asia Bown
·2 min read
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In this photo provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, salvors with the Unified Command prepare charges for upcoming precision cuts to remove Section 4 from the port side of the bow of the Dali container ship, May 7, 2024, during the Key Bridge Response, in Baltimore. Debris and wreckage removal is ongoing in support of safely and efficiently opening the Fort McHenry Channel, following the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s March 26 collapse.

Removal of the Francis Scott Key Bridge wreckage has been delayed until Monday due to weather, after originally being planned for Friday. Sightings of lightning nearby worried officials enough to postpone the long-awaited project throughout the weekend.

The removal is now scheduled for 5 p.m. on Monday afternoon, per ABC News.

According to The Associated Press, weeks of planning have gone into preparing for the bridge’s demolition and removal, set to be done using explosives. The span of the bridge being demolished still rests upon the freighter Dali and measures nearly 500 feet long and weighs almost 600 tons.

The removal and demolition efforts are being shepherded by Unified Command.

On May 9, the United States Army Corps of Engineers said in a post to X that Unified Command’s use of explosives “will split the large section of truss at specific locations to create multiple smaller sections, allowing salvors to use cranes/barges already on scene to remove sections of the bridge and the M/V DALI from the channel.”

Though explosions may seem extreme, officials noted them to be the “safest and most efficient way to remove steel under a high level of pressure and tension,” per AP.

“We remain focused on restoring the Marine Transportation System, while ensuring the protection of the public and the environment,” said Capt. David O’Connell, Key Bridge Response federal on-scene coordinator, in a press release last week.

“By using precision cuts, we reduce risks to our personnel and can safely and efficiently continue clearing the channel for the Port of Baltimore.”

The Dali has been stuck underneath the fallen bridge since March, when the ship crashed into one of its columns. Once the bridge fell, it effectively closed off one of Baltimore’s busiest ports, as previously reported by the Deseret News.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said in April that crews were working to remove debris and reopen the channel by the end of May, a timeline he called “realistic” and “aggressive.”

After being freed from the wreckage of the bridge, the Dali will be refloated, officials said, per AP. The ship’s movement was planned for high tide on Tuesday, though with the delay to the demolition and removal of the bridge, it’s unclear whether this timeline still holds.