Workers on Sunday (Apr 7) began removing containers from the giant cargo vessel that remains pinned under the metal remains of Baltimore’s Key Bridge, nearly two weeks after the ship struck the bridge and caused it to collapse.

The removal of the containers is a “critical step” in the process of removing the 985-foot-long ship, the Dali, from the Port of Baltimore and reopening its main channel, the Unified Command, a conglomerate of government agencies overseeing the bridge response efforts, said in a statement on Sunday. Workers will continue removing containers over the next several days, the statement said.

The ship hit a critical component of the bridge, known as a pylon or pier, after it lost power while attempting to leave the port on March 26. Six workers on the bridge died in the collapse.

The Dali was carrying 4,700 shipping containers, according to Synergy Marine, its manager and operator, and was headed for Sri Lanka when it crashed. The removal of these containers will allow for “safe access to then remove the pieces of the Key Bridge that lie across the ship’s bow,” after which the ship can be moved, the statement said. While marine traffic is still limited at the site, some vessels have been able to pass through alternate channels, the statement said.

The statement did not specify exactly how long the removal of the containers would take, and noted that other wreckage and debris is also still being cleared from the site.

Last week, the US Army announced that it expected to open a limited access channel to the Port of Baltimore by the end of April, and said it was aiming to fully reopen the channel by the end of May. On Sunday, Maryland Gov Wes Moore said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that the timeline was “aggressive” but achievable, and that the authorities would work around the clock to meet it. NYTIMES

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