Fort McHenry Channel reopened

12 Jun 2024 / Baltimore, United States

The U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port has reopened the Fort McHenry Channel to commercial vessel traffic for 24-hour availability. This channel has been fully restored to its original depth of 50-feet, its 700-foot horizontal clearance, and a vertical clearance of 214-feet due to the adjacent BGE powerlines.

Tug escorts are at the discretion of the attending pilot until all salvage operations are complete within the area. The Temporary Alternate Channels remain open and available for use until approximately June 30th, the conclusion of all on water salvage and survey operations relating to the Key Bridge Response.

Temporary Alternate Channels:

  • Fort Carroll Temporary Alternate Channel remains open 24-hours daily to non-deep draft commercial vessels with a controlling depth of 20 ft, a 300-ft horizontal clearance, and vertical clearance of 135 ft.

  • Hawkins Point Temporary Alternate Channel remains open 24-hours daily to non-deep draft commercial vessels with a controlling depth of 14 ft, a 280-ft horizontal clearance, and vertical clearance of 124 ft.

  • Sollers Point Temporary Alternate Channel remains open 24-hours daily to all traffic, to include recreational vessels, with a controlling depth of 11 ft, a 264-ft horizontal clearance, and vertical clearance of 95 ft.

Francis Scott Key Bridge Safety Zone:
The safety zone established for all navigable waters of the Chesapeake Bay within a 2,000-yard radius of the Francis Scott Key Bridge remains in effect and is intended to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment. Except for vessels transiting in one of the four marked channels, no vessel or person will be permitted to enter the safety zone without first obtaining permission from the Coast Guard.

The Maryland Pilots will continue their regular coordination of deep draft traffic and are available at (410) 342-6013.

All vessels transiting the safety zone must remain within the marked channels and well clear of vessels engaged in salvage and safety operations.

(For information about operations in the United States, contact GAC North America at [email protected])

Source: Port of Baltimore notice dated 11 June 2024

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