The Dali, at last, has left Baltimore.
The 984-foot ship departed Baltimore just after 8 a.m. Monday and was bound for Norfolk, Virginia.
The departure came about three months after the cargo vessel first attempted to leave the Port of Baltimore, on March 26. The voyage ended in disaster when the Dali lost power and crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse and killing six construction workers. Engineers and experts worked for weeks to free the Dali from the twisted metal and wreckage of the bridge.
The U.S. Coast Guard established a temporary 500-yard safety zone for portions of the Chesapeake Bay, Thimble Shoal Channel, the Norfolk Harbor and Elizabeth River as a precaution to protect personnel, vessels and the marine environment from potential hazards. All vessels and people are forbidden from entering the zone without authorization from the captain of the port.
Four tugboats were escorting the Dali to provide anchoring support along its entire journey to Norfolk, state transportation officials said.
The Maryland Transportation Authority held traffic off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge as the Dali passed underneath Monday.
Ten members of the Dali’s crew have been cleared to return home and a replacement crew is currently on board the vessel. Higher-ranking members of the crew, including officers, are expected to remain in Baltimore for the duration of litigation concerning the crash.
This is a developing story.
