Animation showing planned Key Bridge explosive demolition unveiled

BALTIMORE — Francis Scott Key Bridge cleanup officials shared a video animation Wednesday depicting how crews plan to deploy small explosive devices to clear a large steel truss resting on the bow of the Dali container ship in the Patapsco River.

Crews will cut holes into various sections of the truss and place thin pieces of metal inside those holes — with small explosive charges attached — according to the one-minute animation. Each charge will be protected by a wrapping, “similar to a large piece of tape,” the video says.

All of the small explosives will detonate simultaneously, creating cuts that are “merely millimeters in width.” Observers might see small flashes and puffs of smoke, according to the animation.

The cuts will rend apart the truss section and send the pieces plunging into the river, unpinning the Dali.

“It’s important to note that this controlled demolition is not like what you would see in a movie,” says a voice-over on the animation released Wednesday. “From a distance, it will sound like fireworks or loud thunder and appear as puffs of smoke.”

Key Bridge cleanup officials are recommending that any individuals within 2,000 yards of the blast site use hearing protection. Most of that area is within the Patapsco River.

“There is a small portion of the noise radius that includes land over the industrial portions of Hawkins Point,” Chief Petty Officer Nicholas Carr, Key Bridge Response Unified Command safety officer, said in a news release Wednesday. “We are ensuring workers in the area have advanced notice of the plan.”

For individuals outside that radius, the sound will “be no louder than a standard fireworks show” and will last two to five seconds, according to the news release from the Key Bridge Unified Command center. Officials have been using the term “precision cutting” to describe the operation.

“Precision cutting offers one of the most efficient and safest methods to be able to remove steel under such a high level of tension,” the release reads. “This highly controlled process enables surgical precision.”

Crews are aiming to complete the detonation in the coming days, possibly as soon as this weekend, according to the Unified Command. Officials plan to send out a notice 48 hours before the detonation. Weather conditions and other variables could change the timeline.

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