Baltimore Opens 45-Foot Deep Channel Following Bridge Collapse

Progress continues in Baltimore as the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) announced that it will open a 45-foot-deep channel on May 10. This follows the removal of the motor vessel Dali, which crashed into and collapsed Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in March.

With the opening of this new channel, the COTP suspended transits of the Fort McHenry Limited Access Channel, which has a controlling depth of 35 feet. Just last week, the first commercial vessels moved through Fort McHenry after being stranded for nearly two months.

The new channel will feature a controlling depth of 45 feet, a 300-foot horizontal clearance, and a vertical clearance of 214 feet due to overhead power lines. The reopening and use of the channel will be at the discretion of the COTP, taking into account the prevailing weather conditions and ongoing salvage operations.

Once operational, this channel will enable the passage of deeper draft vessels through the Port of Baltimore. For comparison, the Panama Canal’s expanded Neopanamax locks accommodate vessels with a maximum draft of 44 feet, while the main Fort McHenry Channel in Baltimore maintains a depth of 50 feet.

“We can’t take our eye off the ball: We need to fully reopen the full 50-foot channel. And we will,” said Maryland Governor Wes Moore.

Vessels using the new 45-foot channel will require a Maryland State pilot and two escort tugs. The Maryland Pilots will implement a 3-foot under-keel clearance (UKC) requirement for all vessels and will limit vessel speeds to below 15 knots in winds, including gusts. However, due to the ongoing salvage operations, speed will be further restricted to a maximum of 10 knots.

Additionally, three other temporary channels remain open with varying depths and clearances: the 20-foot deep Fort Carroll Temporary Alternate Channel, the 14-foot deep Sollers Point Temporary Alternate Channel, and the 11-foot deep Hawkins Point Temporary Alternate Channel, each tailored for specific vessel sizes and transit needs.

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