Dali container removal will take weeks, a key to Port of Baltimore reopening

The process of removing shipping containers from the 984-foot-long Dali has begun, but it is expected to take weeks to complete the job, tow the listing ship, and get the Port of Baltimore reopened for marine traffic after the bride collapse which occurred on March 26.

Seven containers have been removed since Unified Command started the process on Sunday to clear up the canal and ultimately reopen for container traffic, a spokesperson for the Key Bridge Response 2024 Joint Information Center told CNBC. The initial goal is to remove 10 to 12 containers to create a safe working area for the crews involved in recovery efforts for missing workers and removal of debris. The containers that are being removed are leaning over on the port side of the Dali's bow and pose a risk to crews working in the area.

Unified Command is comprised of Synergy Marine, the management company of the Dali, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland Transportation Authority, and Maryland State Police. 

Approximately 140 containers in all are expected to be removed to lighten the Dali so the grounded vessel can be refloated and moved by tugs. It is expected to take approximately two weeks to unload all of the containers.

The first seven containers were on a single barge and taken to Sparrows Point, the former site of a large industrial complex owned by Bethlehem Steel. Sparrows Point is a 3,100 acre peninsula reaching into Baltimore Harbor. The JIC said the containers will stay at Sparrows Point until "further disposition is approved and coordinated."  

The barges being loaded with containers all have different container-carrying capacities, according to JIC.

The logistics details for cleared