Port of Baltimore main shipping channel reopens

The Port of Baltimore fully reopens after over two months of clean-up efforts following the collapse of the Key Bridge. (AP Photo / Alex Brandon)By Tashi McQueenAFRO Political Writertmcqueen@afro.com The Unified Command announced the full reopening of the Port of Baltimore’s main channel on June 10. Earlier in the day, the command released a statement saying they expect the full reopening to occur in the “next few days,” but around 6 p.m., they announced its restoration.“One of our four key directives in the wake of the Key Bridge collapse has been to fully clear the federal channel. Today, we bring that directive to completion,” said Maryland Gov. Wes Moore in a statement shortly after the announcement. “With the channel now fully open, we can get more Marylanders back to work at the Port of Baltimore, increase the flow of commerce through the city and accelerate our economic recovery.”The federal channel has been restored to its original dimensions of 700 feet wide and 50 feet deep. Previously, the channel was only open to 400 feet wide and 50 feet deep, allowing some commercial maritime traffic to resume.Though Moore applauded the combined work of the Unified Command thus far, he emphasized that...