Large crane for mountains of wreckage arrived at the Baltimore bridge

NOS News•today, 02:01

A large crane that can lift up to 1,000 tons has arrived at the collapsed bridge in Baltimore. The crane must help clear the wreckage in the water.

The bridge near Baltimore collapsed last week after a container ship struck a pillar of the structure. Six people working on the bridge went missing. Two bodies have now been recovered.

The wreckage in the water has complicated the search for the other four missing people in recent days. In addition, this has made the Port of Baltimore inaccessible, which, according to estimates by the state of Maryland, provides approximately 15,000 direct jobs.

To reopen the port, the debris must be removed from the water. The governor of the state of Maryland spoke at a press conference on Friday of a complex operation. According to him, the broken bridge parts weigh about 4,000 tons. These must be further sawn into pieces before they can be lifted out of the water.

The Port of Baltimore is of economic importance not only to the state of Maryland, but to the entire United States, the governor said. “The port handles more cars and more agricultural equipment than any other port in this country.”

The governor also emphasized the importance of recovering the bodies of the construction workers who are still missing. “We need to give the families a sense of closure.” If water conditions allow, divers will search for the missing.

President Biden has announced that he will visit Baltimore next week. The federal government has provided $60 million for immediate relief.

Seven floating cranes, 10 tugboats, nine barges, eight salvage vessels and five coast guard boats are available for the salvage operation, the governor said. A large part of this comes from the Navy.

The coast guard and navy will work with experts to determine how the bridge can best be cut into pieces. The coast guard will then remove the wreckage of the bridge and the container ship.

In the meantime, consideration is already being given to building a new bridge. According to local authorities, innovative design and construction methods are being looked at so that the bridge can be completed quickly.