Massive effort to clear Baltimore bridge collapse is an ‘incredibly complex job,’ governor says. Here’s how they’ll do it

Maryland crews face “an incredibly complex job” as they work to clear colossal steel sections of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge and the 984-foot cargo ship that felled it – an effort that is essential to reopening the Port of Baltimore and recovering the remains that may lie under the wreckage, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said.

Crews working to clear the steel frame of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge and the 984-foot cargo ship that felled it face “an incredibly complex job” – one that is essential to reopening the Port of Baltimore and recovering the remains that may lie under the wreckage, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Thursday. “When you have a chance to see that wreckage up close, you fully understand the enormity of the challenge,” Moore said in a news conference, noting, “Our timeline will be long.” The largest crane in the Eastern Seaboard was expected to arrive Thursday evening to help clear the wreckage, Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen said, and three heavy lift vessels should begin arriving Friday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told CNN. Maryland officials are working “full speed” to reopen the vital shipping channel and revive traffic through the port – the largest in the US for autos and light trucks, handling a record 850,000 vehicles last year, Moore said. Nonetheless, he said, “We have a very long road ahead of us.” The cargo ship – nearly the length of the Eiffel Tower – has had as many as 4,000 tons of steel frame weighing on its bow since it struck the Key Bridge early Tuesday, sending a crew of eight construction workers plunging to the waters below, he said. Only two workers survived and the bodies of two others were later pulled from the water. Authorities believe the submerged tangle of steel and concrete is enveloping the remains of the last four construction workers, and say the debris must be removed before divers can safely search the area.