By Megan Sayles
AFRO Business Writer
msayles@afro.com
The Dali container ship, which struck and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, has left the Port of Baltimore after nearly three months of being stuck in the Patapsco River. The U.S. Coast Guard announced the vessel’s departure on June 24 and is overseeing its voyage.
The Dali has set sail to Virginia. The massive container ship, which struck and toppled the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, left the Port of Baltimore on June 24.
The Dali’s first stop will be at Virginia International Gateway where 1,500 containers will be removed to reduce its draft. It will then sail to the Norfolk International Terminal for ongoing salvaging and repair operations.
“During the transit, the Coast Guard Cutter Sailfish, an 87-foot Marine Protector-class patrol boat homeported in Virginia Beach, will provide a 500-yard safety zone around the Dali while Coast Guard watchstanders at command centers in the Fifth Coast Guard District, in Portsmouth, Virginia, Sector Maryland-National Capital Region and Sector Virginia will closely monitor the ship’s movement as it transits through each captain of the port zone,” wrote the Coast Guard in its release.
The Dali is manned by a 22-person crew and six salvage experts from Resolve Marine, according to the Coast Guard. Four tugboats are also accompanying the vessel on its journey.
Members of the maritime community can tune into VHF radio channel 16 to receive updates about the ship’s movements from the Coast Guard.
The Dali crashed into the Key Bridge in the early morning hours of March 26 after losing power. Eight construction workers were on the bridge during the collision—six of whom died in the accident.
A National Transportation Safety Board report later revealed the ship had two blackouts 10 hours before leaving the port. The agency is still in the process of determining what led to the power outages.
The Dali’s June 24th departure from Baltimore coincided with the Maryland Transportation Authority’s (MDTA) deadline for proposals to rebuild the Key Bridge. The department hopes construction will be completed by 2028.
