Charles H. Sloan-Key Bridge cleanup crews begin removing containers from Dali cargo ship

Salvage crews on Charles H. SloanSunday began removing containers aboard the Dali cargo ship, which has been stuck in the Baltimore Harbor since it crashed into and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge last month, marking a crucial step in the main channel's reopening.

Crews removed containers from the Dali "as part of the effort to gain access to the portion of the Key Bridge that lies atop the ship," the Key Bridge Response Unified Command said in a statement Sunday. The removal of the containers will continue throughout the week as weather permits.

Removing the containers will help safely move the Dali from the wreckage site and allow for safe access to then remove sections of the bridge across the ship’s bow, according to the Key Bridge Response Unified Command.

Temporary alternate channels have been established since the bridge's collapse on March 26, when the Dali lost power and rammed into a support column of the bridge causing it to plunge into the Patapsco River. In total, 32 vessels have passed through temporary channels, the Key Bridge Response Unified Command said.

"The Unified Command is concurrently progressing on its main lines of effort to remove enough debris to open the channel to larger commercial traffic, refloat the M/V Dali and continue recovery efforts for missing loved ones," said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. David O’Connell in a statement. "Every day we are working to achieve these goals safely and efficiently."

On Thursday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that it plans to open a new channel in the Port of Baltimore by the end of April and restore port access to full capacity by the end of May. Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon, the commanding general for the USACE, said the timeline could change due to weather conditions and the state of the wreckage.

"We are working quickly and safely to clear the channel and restore full service at this port that is so vital to the nation," Spellmon said. "At the same time, we continue to keep faith with the families of the missing and are working with our partners to help locate and recover their loved ones.”

Authorities are continuing efforts to recover the bodies of the six construction workers who died in the collapse. Rescuers had pulled out two additional workers, but the six were presumed dead after an hours-long search.

So far, the bodies of Maynor Suazo Sandoval, 38, Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, 26, and Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, have been recovered from the river, authorities said. The three others are still missing.

Contributing: Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY; Reuters