Tragic End to Key Bridge Recovery Effort
The final construction worker's body was recovered from the Key Bridge wreckage site on Tuesday, marking the end of a weeks-long recovery operation.
Jose Mynor Lopez, 37, a resident of Baltimore, was identified as the last worker found from the March 26 bridge collapse. The bodies of five other workers - José Mynor López, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, Carlos Daniel Hernandez Estrella, and Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez - had been previously recovered.
"With heavy hearts, today signifies a significant milestone in our recovery mission and offers closure to the families of the six workers who tragically lost their lives," stated Colonel Roland Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland Department of State Police.
"As we grieve alongside the families, we pay tribute to the memories of José Mynor López, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, Carlos Daniel Hernandez Estrella, and Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez."
At around 1:30 a.m. on March 26, the Key Bridge collapsed after being struck by the container ship Dali, causing eight workers who were patching potholes on the bridge to fall into the Patapsco River.
Two individuals were rescued, and as of now, a total of six individuals have been retrieved from the collapse site.
Joint Command efforts ship removal
Controlled explosives are set to be utilized in the extraction of a significant section of the Key Bridge that rests on the Dali. The Joint Command indicates that this procedure is part of what they refer to as "precision cutting."
"It was evident to us that in order to safely eliminate the Dali, precision cutting would be necessary," mentioned Maryland Governor Wes Moore. "At present, the Dali still bears a weight of 3 to 4,000 tons of steel on top of it."
Authorities aim to have the Dali afloat again by the conclusion of the week.
Subsequent stages of Key Bridge reconstruction
While the process of removing the ship is in progress, the Maryland Transportation Authority conducted a virtual meeting to deliberate on the forthcoming phase of constructing a new Key Bridge. An impressive 1,700 individuals signed up to participate.
The anticipated timeline for the inauguration of the new bridge remains in the fall of 2028, with an approximate cost of just under $2 billion.
