The U.S. coastguard is preparing an alternate channel for vessels stuck in the port of Baltimore, after last week's bridge collapse. Crews have begun work to remove the first chunk of the collapsed bridge from the water.

Baltimore

The U.S. Coast Guard is taking proactive measures to address the impasse caused by last week's bridge collapse that has hindered vessel movement in the Port of Baltimore. They are in the process of preparing an alternate channel to enable ships that are currently unable to move to circumvent the obstruction. Work crews have already initiated the process of clearing the debris, starting with the removal of the first portion of the collapsed bridge from the waterway.

This effort marks a significant step towards mitigating the logistical challenges posed by the bridge collapse, aiming to restore normal maritime operations in the area. The creation of an alternate channel suggests a focus on both immediate and interim solutions to ensure minimal disruption to shipping activities, critical for both local and broader economic concerns.



Alternate pathway for vessels stuck in the port of Baltimore

That really is only just beginning. Actually, you should be able to see what remains of the span of the Francis Scott Key Bridge behind me. As you mentioned, they did remove the first section so far of, I believe it was about 200 tons' worth of bridge that had fallen into the river. It was removed by crane, put on a barge and taken away. But look, it's such an early stage, we're not really getting any real estimates of how long that effort will take. As you say, I think now the main concern is trying to open at least some means of transport on the river. So the plan is to have at least one channel open in the next few days, they're saying, on the northeast of the main channel, which small vessels can use, critical vessels for the operation of the port, as well as just vessels who are involved in the salvage operation, and then with further channels reopening beyond that. But really not much, not really a firm timeline, because I don't think they really know them themselves. As for the dead, those who were killed in this, two construction workers were recovered, bodies were recovered, two were saved, but four bodies remain missing. But because it's raining and just because of the debris in the channel, it's too difficult for divers to actually go down and try and recover those bodies. A lot of questions being asked, at least for those who are interested in workers' rights, labor rights, as to why these non-unionizers, non-union company who was doing construction on the bridge at the time, didn't give these workers any means of communication through which perhaps they could have been warned, as well as the drivers on either side of the bridge, just before it collapsed. And Shihab, as you're saying, we're only in the early stages of the cleanup operation. So what does that mean for the potential economic impact of this accident? It seems like the economic impact, it's thought, will be mainly regional. Right now, the port is still open. There is still enough freight and containers to be processed, but, obviously, there's no more coming in, though. So the question is, what happens to the 8,000 to 15,000 workers who directly work at the port once that freight stops, once the processing is over? Not to mention, then, the some 175,000 workers who rely on the port for their livelihoods. That's logistics. That's all sorts of other ancillary operations, as well as just retail in the area. That's a big focus of various meetings today. In fact, there's a meeting just starting at the Longshoremen's Union not too far away from here about what happens after that. But actually, weirdly, nationally, it doesn't seem like there will be a huge impact, because there are four ports on the East Coast that can take these mega-containers. It's thought that the three others, Baltimore one, the three others, one in New York, one in New Jersey, one in Virginia, it's thought, will be able to handle the excess capacity. But that's actually another issue, potentially, for long-term damage for Baltimore. Because the question is, once those companies that use Baltimore for freight to export mainly in the region, they'll probably come back once the port is reopened. But what about those companies that are actually importing freight for distribution around the country? Once they've actually got new infrastructure in these other ports, will they come back? So that's another issue which is on the minds of those here, and another reason why they want to get this port running again as soon as possible. Shehab, thank you very much for that. Shehab Ratanzi, joining us live from Baltimore.

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New York

Police enter Columbia University, arrest protesters

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London

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Canberra

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Odesa

Ukraine Invasion

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Riyadh

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Turin

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Beirut

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