Recreational boaters get 2nd shot to transit Key Bridge safety zone

For the second time in less than a week, recreational vessels will be allowed passage through the Key Bridge safety zone by using the temporary channel off Sollers Point, located on the northeast side of the channel off Dundalk.

Instead of the two transits allowed Tuesday, a total of four, one-way transits are scheduled for Sunday — two in the morning and two in the early evening. Boaters can expect a minimum depth of 11 feet in the Sollers Point channel, which was temporarily created in the early days after the Key Bridge collapsed.

The Coast Guard issued a bulletin Thursday announcing the schedule of passages: Outbound vessels may leave the port and head south through the safety zone from 6:30 a.m. to 7:15 a.m., and again between 6 p.m. and 6:45 p.m.

Inbound vessels traveling north and wishing to enter the port may pass through the safety zone between 7:15 a.m. and 8 a.m., and again between 6:45 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

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Officials warned the openings could be canceled at any time for safety reasons. While no other transits are currently scheduled, the Coast Guard intends to allow more as conditions permit. All mariners planning to cross in either direction are required to monitor VHF channels 16 and 81A while in the safety zone.

According to a written statement from Unified Command, the name given to the coordinated leadership of the Key Bridge salvage operation, boaters wishing to pass through should arrive promptly, or preferably slightly before the designated windows of time.

“Those who can’t make the journey during the designated times will be turned away,” the statement read. “These transits are not for sightseeing, boaters will need to be moving continuously. Law enforcement vessels will be on scene to enforce the rules of the road.

“The main goal of creating this opportunity to the recreational vessel boating community is to help facilitate the restoration of the Marine Transportation System,” the statement continued. “The personnel dedicated to the Key Bridge Response are very aware of the needs of the boating community and are working around the clock to bring some semblance of normalcy following the Key Bridge collapse.”

Salvage teams hope to clear the channel completely by the end of May. On March 26, the 984-foot cargo ship Dali struck the Key Bridge, causing it to collapse. Wreckage of the bridge as well as the Dali remain in the channel, closing the port to virtually all commercial traffic.

Hugo Kugiya

Hugo.Kugiya@thebaltimorebanner.com