Animation shows plans for controlled demolition at Key Bridge collapse site

BALTIMORE -- Wednesday marks exactly 43 days since the Key Bridge collapse, which killed six construction workers, who have now all been recovered. With recovery efforts complete, the focus is on clearing the main shipping channel into the Port of Baltimore.

To clear the channel, Unified Command plans to use precision cuts with small controlled explosives to remove the remaining parts of the collapsed Key Bridge off the Dali.

A new animation from Unified Command shows the process crews will undergo to remove between 3,000 and 4,000 pounds of steel still sitting on the ship.

Unified Command will identify several places on the beams where cuts can be made to strategically place small explosives on the structure.

"As soon as that operation and precision cutting is done, then we also have the tools to remove that steel from the water to safely refloat the Dali and reopen the federal channel," Governor Wes Moore said.

For crews, the priority is making sure the operation is safe for nearby residents and the environment. 

As of right now, there hasn't been a specific time for this precision-cutting operation, but officials say nearby residents and entities will be notified via text 48 hours before detonation.

Officials hope to refloat the Dali by the end of the week.

With an estimated cost of $2 billion, the bridge reopening is projected for the fall of 2028. 

While the ship removal process is ongoing, the Maryland Transportation Authority conducted a video meeting to discuss the next major step in developing a new Key Bridge.