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US Navy releases sonar images showing wreckage of Baltimore bridge underwater

US Navy releases sonar images showing wreckage of Baltimore bridge underwater

Francis Scott Key Bridge

New underwater sonar images captured by the US Navy's Naval Sea Systems Command show the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the bottom of Baltimore's Patapsco River. The USArmy Corps of Engineers shared images that show the remnants of the bridge on social media platform X.

"These sonar CODA images, provided by @USNavy’s Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), show bridge wreckage in the deepest part of the federal shipping channel and one of the Francis Scott Key Bridge main supports," the caption read.

The colour-coded scans show the metal framework of the ship.The framework extending above the waterline will be removed by the end of April.

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"The metal framework extending above the waterline (the blue line in some images) is currently slated to be removed by the end of April, making way for a 35-foot-deep by 280-foot-wide Limited Access Channel within the federal channel span," the US Army Corps of Engineers wrote on X.

It added, "The Limited Access Channel will permit larger ships in and out of the @portofbalt, such as marine tugs, Maritime Administration (MARAD) vessels, and those used for Roll-on/Roll-off shipping."

Currently, the Port of Baltimore has limited marine access. Some essential and smaller commercial ships are using two temporary passageways. It is the largest vehicle-handling port in the United States.

About 1,100 Corps of Engineers personnel have been deployed for the restorationof the Baltimore Port, the efforts for which have been on since March 31 after a crane removed a 200-tonne piece of the bridge blocking the entry into the Port of Baltimore.

When did the Baltimore bridge collapse?

The Baltimore bridge, known as Francis Scott Key Bridge, collapsed March 26 after a cargo ship crashed into it. The bridge collapsed and fell into the Patapsco River after the crash, consequently blocking access to the Port of Baltimore. Six workers who were doing repair work on the bridgelost their lives in the incident.

About the Author

Prapti Upadhayay

Prapti Upadhayay is a New Delhi-based journalist who reports on key news developments across India and global affairs, with a special focus on US politics. When not writing, she en...Read More