The main shipping channel that was blocked when a cargo ship brought down the Key Bridge in Baltimore has now been fully reopened, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Monday.
The collapse in March temporarily cut off all traffic through the Port of Baltimore, which sees some $80 billion of international trade annually, including more cars and farm equipment than any other U.S. port.
Crews opened a temporary channel to restore some service to the port in late April.
About a month later, the cargo ship Dali was refloated from where it had run aground on the bridge and returned to port.
More than 50,000 tons of metal and concrete were ultimately demolished and removed. The process required 13 floating cranes and dozens of other vessels.
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Ship that destroyed Baltimore bridge has finally docked
International commerce through the port can now resume, which is expected to also boost the thousands of local jobs in and around the port that depend on its traffic. Maryland says the port accounts for more than 15,000 direct local jobs, and gets support from more than 130,000 more in the community.
The NTSB is still in the midst of a full investigation into the Dali and the bridge collapse. The FBI is also working on a criminal investigation into the incident.
Officials say they want to replace the Key Bridge with a new structure by 2028.
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