By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Political Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com

On June 10, the expected finish date for the full federal channel, the Unified Command released a statement saying the channel will be fully reopened in the “next few days,” pushing back the timeline. 

The Unified Command initially aimed to reopen the channel by the end of May.

The Port of Baltimore is expected to fully reopen in the “next few days” after about two months of clean-up efforts. (AP Photo / Alex Brandon)

“We’re using the same detailed process as when opening the three alternate channels and the Limited Access Channel,” said Col. Estee Pinchasin, Baltimore district commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “Once the wreckage is cleared, we will sweep the area with sonar, LIDAR and magnetometer, to investigate any high spots, ensuring there’s no hazard to navigation.”

“We are going to be as thorough and disciplined as we have been since the beginning. We owe it to Baltimore and the port to turn over a safe navigation channel they can use with the greatest of confidence,” Pinchasin continued.

From June 3 to 4, the Unified Command removed the final large steel truss, about 700 feet wide, from the Patapsco River. This achievement made them that much closer to reopening the full federal channel.

According to the Unified Command, they freed the large steel truss using concrete breakers, oxyacetylene torches and underwater surveys to detach tons of roadway, steel rebar and cable.

Since May 20, the federal channel has been widened to 400 feet and 50 feet deep, allowing some regular traffic to resume.

The post Port of Baltimore to fully reopen in the “next few days” appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

This post was originally published on this site