The Baltimore Harbor shipping channel has been fully reopened, 11 weeks after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed when it was struck by a cargo ship.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the passage where the Key Bridge buckled is now “safe for transit.”
The 700 feet (213 m) wide and 50 feet (15 m) deep canal was restored to its original operational dimensions.
The Dali ship tipped into the span on March 26, cutting the shipping artery and killing six construction workers.
Crews had to remove 50,000 tons of wreckage, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said.
Some 2,000 responders, including hundreds of specialists from around the world, worked to remove the pile of steel and concrete with the help of a fleet of tugboats and more than a dozen floating cranes.
Col. Estee Pinchasin, Baltimore District commander, said in a statement, “While the overarching goal of restoring the Federal Canal to full operational capacity has been successful, we think every day of those who lost their lives. lives, their families and the workers affected by this tragic event. “
The accident left the ship stuck under wreckage in the Patapsco River.
Last month, the Dali was moved by tugboats, marking one of the final steps needed to clear shipping lanes before Monday’s reopening.
The FBI and the U.S. Coast Guard are investigating the incident.
Last month, the National Transportation Safety Board said the Dali lost power several times before hitting the bridge.
Rebuilding the span will take more than four years and cost up to $1.9 billion (£1.5 billion), Maryland state authorities said.