Demolition Work Begins On The Francis Scott Key Bridge

by John Konrad (gCaptain) The Unified Command started clearing debris from the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse today. They did not specify when they will resume the salvage operation for the ship, which was paused yesterday due to the discovery of a high-pressure gas line under the wreckage.

In an afternoon statement, the Unified Command announced that they are working with Baltimore Gas And Electric to decrease the pressure in the pipeline that traverses the channel and runs beneath the incident site. They are coordinating to render the pipeline inert to mitigate any hazards and risk. Pipeline operations will persist over the weekend.

No comment was made about why the gas line was not secured immediately following the grounding on Tuesday.

For the bridge salvage operation, trained demolition crews will start by cutting the top part of the collapsed bridge’s north side into smaller pieces. This will allow safe removal by crane. A crane barge and work barge are prepared at the incident site to support Saturday’s operations.

Salvage teams will use gas-powered cutters to methodically disassemble sections of the steel bridge for disposal. Concurrently, salvage divers will conduct underwater assessments of the work site to facilitate future operations. Each lifting operation requires an engineering analysis to guide the salvage operation plans.

The Coast Guard continues to maintain a 2000-yard maritime Safety Zone around the M/V Dali recovery efforts.

Unified Command also stated that the ship remains stable with crew aboard.

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