Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom

Explosive charges are detonated to bring down sections of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge resting on the container ship Dali on Monday in Baltimore.

It marked a major step in freeing the Dali, which has been stuck among the wreckage since it lost power and crashed into one of the bridge's support columns shortly after leaving Baltimore on March 26.and halted most maritime traffic through Baltimore's busy port.

Officials expect to refloat the ship within the next few days. Then three or four tugboats will guide it to a nearby terminal at the port. It will likely remain there for a several weeks and undergo temporary repairs before being moved to a shipyard for more substantial repairs. Engineers spent weeks preparing to use explosives to break down the span, which was an estimated 500 feet long and weighs up to 600 tons . The demolition was postponed Sunday because of thunderstorms.

In a videographic released this week, authorities said engineers were using precision cuts to control how the trusses break down. They said the method allows for"surgical precision" and is one of the safest and most efficient ways to remove steel under a high level of tension. Hydraulic grabbers will now lift the broken sections of steel onto barges.

State and federal officials have commended the salvage crews and other members of the cleanup operation who helped recover the remains of the six construction workers. The last body was recovered from the underwater wreckage last week. All of the victims were Latino immigrants who came to the U.S. for job opportunities. They were filling potholes on an overnight shift when the bridge was destroyed.

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