Baltimore shipping channel reopens after deadly bridge collapse in March

WASHINGTON - US authorities have completely reopened the primary shipping route to the Port of Baltimore on Monday following an extensive cleanup endeavor, a few months after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which killed six workers.

In a news release on Monday evening, officials said the reopening follows a significant cleanup operation, where crews extracted approximately 50,000 tons of steel and concrete from the Patapsco River.

On March 26, a container ship collided with one of the bridge's support columns, causing six road workers who were on their overnight shift to fill potholes on the bridge to fall to their deaths.

The cargo ship that hit and destroyed the bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, had experienced a loss of electrical power and propulsion before the incident, according to a preliminary report released by the US National Transportation Safety Board in May.

The US Coast Guard classified the accident as a major marine casualty.

The Port of Baltimore, known for handling the highest volume of cars and agricultural machinery in the nation, remained practically shut down for several weeks during the removal of the wreckage.

In recent weeks, crews managed to gradually reopen sections of the deep-draft channel, allowing for the resumption of some commercial traffic.