The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District posted several photos Tuesday on Facebook of the underwater wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
“These 3D images show the sheer magnitude of the very difficult and challenging salvage operation ahead,” the Corps said.
“Divers are forced to work in virtual darkness, because when lit, their view is similar to driving through a heavy snowfall at night with high-beam headlights on. So murky is the water, divers must be guided via detailed verbal directions from operators in vessels topside who are viewing real-time CODA imagery. No usable underwater video exists of the wreckage, because as one Navy diver stated, ‘there’s no need [to] take video of something you can’t even see,'” the army corps added.
The images are credited to the U.S. Navy’s Naval Sea System Command (NAVSEA) Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV). (RELATED: REPORT: Driver Credits Police, Late Passenger She Was Picking Up With Saving Her Life From Bridge Collapse)
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed March 26 after a container ship hit it. The 984-foot ship previously had hardware issues and was involved in a separate accident back in 2016, according to the maritime tracker VesselFinder. In the aftermath of the tragic accident in March, the Biden administration approved of a $60 million initial emergency fund relief request by Maryland.
The Captain of the Port (COTP) in Baltimore announced a plan Sunday to open a temporary alternative channel for essential vessels to enter, a press release by Key Bridge Response 2024.com reads. “This will mark an important first step along the road to reopening the port of Baltimore,” Capt. David O’Connell, Federal On-Scene Coordinator, said. “By opening this alternate route, we will support the flow of marine traffic into Baltimore.”