(VitalNews.org) – The controlled demolition of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has been put on pause due to weather conditions. Crews have been preparing for this for weeks to use explosives to break up the remaining large piece.
The large piece of metal which weighs six hundred tons is still sitting on top of the Dali, the ship that lost power and crashed into the bridge. The rubbish left has meant that the port of Baltimore has been closed since the incident.
Lightning in the area at the time of the supposed demolition is what prompted the postponement of the demolition.
During the collapse in March, six crew members died and the last of those bodies were just recovered last week. The members were all Latino immigrants who came for jobs and were filling potholes in the middle of the night when the collision occurred.
The demolition of the wreckage will allow the Dali to float back up and be removed from the water. This would allow the water traffic through the Baltimore port to continue as normal. Getting the port back open is a huge concern for many longshoremen, small business owners, and truckers in the area.
The crew on the Dali is expected to stay aboard while the explosives are detonated. According to a spokesperson, they would shelter in a safe place, and “all precautions are being taken to ensure everyone’s safety.”
Demolition by explosives is the safest way to remove steel under high amounts of pressure and tension. The crew has been working on using “precision cuts” to control how the trusses break down, which gives them a bit more control once the explosives are set.
The demolition has been rescheduled for later this week during high tide and it will use three or four tugboats to guide the ship to a nearby terminal.
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