Port of Baltimore to reopen channel for deep draft vessels

The Port of Baltimore has announced that the Fort McHenry Limited Access Channel will be reopened to a depth of 45 feet on 10 May, following the expected removal of the Dali vessel.

PHOTO: US' Port of Baltimore with container cranes on the docks. Getty Images

This reopening will facilitate the passage of commercially essential vessels during specified hours between 20.00–07.00 local time (00.00–11.00 GMT), with a 300-foot horizontal clearance and a 214-foot vertical clearance, ensuring safe navigation around powerlines.

Deep-draft vessels planning to utilise this channel will require a Maryland pilot onboard and be escorted by two tugboats. Transit speeds will be strictly controlled, with a maximum speed not to exceed 10 knots.

Meanwhile, the Port of Baltimore will continue to operate three other temporary channels—20, 14, and 11-foot deep channels—open for vessels not necessitating the deeper channel access.

Efforts are underway to remove the grounded container vessel Dali, which caused the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on 26 March.

The US Army Corps of Engineers expects to reopen the Port of Baltimore’s permanent channel, spanning 700 feet in width and 50 feet in depth, by the end of May.

By Debarati Bhattacharjee

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