»The U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port has announced that the Fort McHenry Limited Access Channel will be reopened to a depth of 45-feet on or about May 10 following the expected removal of the Dali vessel. The channel will be open to commercially essential vessels from 8 pm until 7 am and have a 300-foot horizontal clearance and a vertical clearance of 214 feet due to BGE powerlines.
Deep draft vessels using this channel will require a Maryland Pilot and a two tug escort. Transits must be at the slowest safe speed but not to exceed 10 knots.
The three other temporary channels currently in use (the 20, 14, and 11-foot deep channels) remain open and should be utilized by vessels that do not require the deeper channel. The 2,000-yard safety zone around the Key Bridge remains in effect and is intended to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment. No vessel or person will be permitted to enter the safety zone without first obtaining permission from the Coast Guard Captain of the Port or a designated representative. To obtain permission to enter the safety zone and transit through any of the established temporary alternate channels, you must, as early as possible but no less than four hours prior to getting underway, contact the Marine Transportation System Recovery Branch at (505) 203-8141 and MTSrecoveryMDNCR@uscg.mil Requests must be received between 8 am and 6 pm. Movement requests before 10 am must be received prior to 6 pm the previous day.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expects to reopen the Port of Baltimore’s permanent 700-foot wide, 50-foot deep channel by the end of May.
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