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Select ships are making their way back into the Port of Baltimore's shipping channel through a newly-created route, nearly a week after the Dali container ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge and shut down all vessel traffic.
According to CNBC, the U.S. Coast Guard says that a secondary route is being carved out in the southwest channel of the port, allowing commercial vessels cleared by the Coast Guard to pass through. Although the majority of those vessels will be ones helping with cleanup efforts for the collapsed bridge, the Associated Press reports that a handful of tugs and barges that have been stuck in the channel will be allowed through as well.
Vessels permitted in the secondary channel will be chosen on a "case-by-case basis," Coast Guard spokesperson Carmen Caver told CNBC, clarifying how that won't include large container ships given size restrictions on the route.
Ships in the new channel will be limited to roughly 96 feet in length, with a maximum draft of 10 feet. For comparison, the Dali is just over 280 feet long with a draft of around 52 feet.
The main route into the Port of Baltimore remains blocked to all vessel traffic as crews work to clear the debris from the Key Bridge.
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