In pictures: Baltimore clean up continues after Dali's relocation

Unified Command, a group comprising the US Coast Guard, Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland Transportation Authority, Maryland State Police, and Synergy Marine was set up to co-ordinate the response to the allision of Dali and the Francis Scott Key Bridge which resulted in the collapse of the bridge. The group said the project, which has moved through several phases since the incident in late March, was nearing completion.

“We remain confident we will have the Federal Channel fully restored in the next few days,” said Col. Estee S. Pinchasin, USACE, Baltimore District commander. “We’re using the same detailed process as when opening the three alternate channels and the Limited Access Channel. 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.”

Images of the ongoing work in the channel and ashore show the scale of the pieces of bridge that remained below the water line on the river bed after Dali was removed on May 20. 

Contributing to the latest work were the Chesapeake 1000 floating crane Chessy and its hydraulic grabber Gus. A 90-ton piece of wreckage, one of many pieces lifted by Chessy ranging up to hundreds of tons, was moved on Friday to clear the Fort McHenry Federal Channel. In a 45-minute operation, the steel was lifted high above the Patapsco River and a barge moved underneath the load. Once the mangled piece was on the barge, hydraulic sheers began the first phase of processing the steel.

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Access to Baltimore's terminals for ocean going vessels has already been restored by the clearing of a 400-foot wide section of the river. Completion of the project will return the channel to its original 700-foot width and 50-foot depth