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WATCH: Baltimore Key Bridge explosion
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday evening to break down the largest remaining steel span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, a major step in the cleanup as officials seek to fully reopen the port’s busy shipping channel by the end of the month.
BALTIMORE - The largest steel span of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was broken down Monday evening in a controlled demolition.
Explosives flashed orange and let off a cloud of black smoke upon detonation, and the span crumpled into the water in seconds. The longest trusses toppled away from the grounded Dali container ship and slid off its bow.
Hydraulic grabbers will now be able to lift the broken sections of steel onto barges to free the Dali container ship. The Dali will be refloated and guided back into the Port of Baltimore.
The ship, which lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s supporting columns, has been stationary amid the wreckage since the March 26 collapse.
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Collapsed Baltimore Key Bridge span comes down with a boom
Leaders in Baltimore are one step closer to reopening the channel – after the tragic collapse of the Key Bridge back in March - that killed six construction workers. An explosion was set off early this evening to help remove the cargo ship that’s sitting on the water. FOX 5’s Nana-Sentuo Bonsu is in Baltimore with more.
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.
Thousands of tons of steel has already been removed from the Patapsco River in the cleanup and recovery of the bridge.
So far, there hasn't been a single injury in the clearing of the channel of debris from the bridge and the cargo ship.
"Safety in this operation is our top priority," said Maryland Governor Wes Moore at a news conference Monday.
FOX 5 previously reported that the explosives used were the same type used to demolish the Harry Nice Bridge last year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.