BALTIMORE — The first cargo traffic to leave the Baltimore harbor passed under the remains of the shattered Francis Scott Key Bridge as crews prepared to lift a second section of wreckage from the water, Monday afternoon.
The Port of Baltimore was closed after a cargo ship crashed into the bridge, causing the deadly collapse.
An 11-foot side channel laid by the US Coast Guard allowed for the passage of a service barge pushed by the tugboat Crystal Coach, according to live tracking from Marinetraffic.com. More barge traffic is expected according to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who briefed the public Monday afternoon.
Moore added that an additional 15-foot deep side channel will be open soon.
By comparison, the main shipping channel, which remains completely blocked, is more than 50 feet deep, and a monumentally larger task to get open.
Moore said the first lift of a 200-ton piece of bridge wreckage Saturday went well. He said a second lift of a 300-ton piece would be attempted late Monday. Moore explained that forecasted storms are expected to include lightning that would force the suspension of operations for safety.
Meanwhile, the owners of the Dali filed a motion in Federal Court to limit their liability in the disaster. The Singapore-based firms said liability should be less than $44 million.
The US Government has already spent $60 million on the beginning of the disaster recovery effort.
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