"Bridge Collapse" Baltimore Port: "Several Weeks Needed to Reopen Shipping Lane"

It may take several weeks for the Port of Baltimore in Maryland, USA, to reopen after a large bridge collapsed due to a collision with a large cargo ship, CNN reported on the 30th (local time), citing officials.

On the 26th (local time), the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, collapsed after colliding with a container ship. [Photo by Yonhap News]

Spelman, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said regarding the removal of bridge debris and the reopening of the currently suspended shipping route, "I think it could take several weeks," adding, "I don't think it will be a matter of days or months."

In Baltimore, in the early morning of the 26th, a Singapore-flagged container ship that lost power control collided with a pier, causing the 2.6 km-long large bridge, the Francis Scott Key Bridge, to collapse.

At the time of the accident, eight construction workers who were repairing the bridge fell, of whom two were rescued and two were found deceased. Authorities estimate that the remaining four missing persons are likely trapped among the underwater bridge debris.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore said, "The northern part of the bridge will be cut and removed," adding, "This will temporarily open a limited-scale waterway, which will help allow more ships to navigate around the collapse site."

The Port of Baltimore is a major gateway connecting the Atlantic Ocean and the United States, handling the ninth-largest cargo volume among U.S. ports, and especially leads the nation in automobile exports and imports.