BALTIMORE, MD — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has laid out a timeline for when access to the Port of Baltimore can be expected. USACE announced Wednesday that they hope to open a channel within the next four weeks.
The planned channel, measuring 280 feet wide and 35 feet deep, is designed to support one-way traffic for barge container service and select roll-on/roll-off vessels transporting automobiles and farm equipment to and from the port.
USACE engineers say it will take an additional four weeks, targeting the end of May, before they can open up a larger channel returning port access to its normal capacity.
USACE engineers are striving to fully reopen the permanent federal navigation channel, which spans 700 feet wide and 50 feet deep, by the end of May. This would restore port access to its normal capacity.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore issued a statement today reacting to the news and the timeline:
"As we learned this evening, this ambitious timeline proposed by the Army Corps of Engineers offers a level of clarity and certainty that Baltimore needs to hear so we can collectively plan for continued recovery efforts – related to both our economy and our infrastructure. We and our partners across all levels of government have been pushing for a timeline, and now we have a target. We must do everything we can to meet that target.
As I've said many times, this is a complicated operation. For the workers and businesses that rely on the Port, we need to do everything in our power to move as quickly and as safely as we can to clear the channel and fully reopen vessel traffic to the Port of Baltimore. For the families, we must continue to do everything we can to bring them closure.
In the coming days, we will work closely with the Army Corps of Engineers and Unified Command to continue evaluating the assessment so we can ensure we remove any obstacles that might prevent completion. I will deploy every available asset under my control to support this mission. We need to move with utmost speed – and we must execute every operation in a way that advances the four key directives I've issued to Unified Command.
This work is complex. But by standing united, working together, and moving in partnership, we will continue to prove the full meaning of Maryland Tough and Baltimore Strong.” Said Moore.
President Joe Biden is now expected to take an aerial tour of the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Friday. He is then scheduled to take part in an operational briefing, address the media, and meet with the families of the six victims who were killed in the bridge collapse.