Crews perform controlled demolition to dismantle the remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore (VIDEO) | The Gateway expert

Crews set off a chain of carefully placed explosives Monday to demolish the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

The purpose of the demolition was to free the Dali, a container ship that has been stranded in the port of Baltimore for 48 days.

The ship lost power and collided with one of the bridge’s support columns shortly after departing Baltimore on March 26, causing the bridge to collapse.

The accident tragically claimed the lives of six construction workers and halted most maritime traffic through the busy port.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge is a major commuter route that carries the Baltimore Beltway I-695 over the Patapsco River at the south end of the Port of Baltimore, and it is the state’s main artery for hazardous materials, which are not allowed to pass through the underwater world roadway tunnels in Baltimore.

Bystanders witnessed the mangled steel trusses collapse into the water below. The controlled collapse was intended to avoid further contact with the ship and allow it to be refloated.

Watch the videos below:

MOMENTS AGO: Baltimore workers conduct controlled demolition of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge pic.twitter.com/QjwywkovOs

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 13, 2024

We were live @wjz when Key Bridge’s explosive charges detonated. We understand that the operation was successful. #BREAK pic.twitter.com/PEiApDIFlR

— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) May 13, 2024

EXPLOSION! Here’s a video of workers setting off explosives to help free the Dali from the wreckage of the Key Bridge near Baltimore. #crazyvideo @7NewsDC pic.twitter.com/N0iQAGHXFm

— Scott Thuman (@ScottThuman) May 13, 2024

Officials confirmed the blast went as planned. The next phase of the cleanup will include assessing the remaining trusses on the Dali’s bow and ensuring there is no underwater wreckage preventing the ship from being refloated and moved.

Last month the American Naval Institute has reported that the Chesapeake, the largest crane on the East Coast, has arrived to help clean up the wreckage left behind after the Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Friday.

According to the UNI, the Chesapeake, previously called the SUN 800, was built by the CIA “to recover the Soviet Gulf II ballistic missile submarine K-129, which was sunk in 1968.” The CIA used the SUN 800 to assist in the construction of the Hughes Glomar Explorer.

Although bridge reconstruction cannot begin until cleanup work is completed, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDTA) estimates that the Francis Scott Key Bridge will be rebuilt by fall 2028, at a cost of between $1.7 billion and $1. $.9 billion will be there. Washingtonpost reported.

Some experts predict the project could take up to ten years to complete. Benjamin Schafer, a professor of civil and systems engineering at Johns Hopkins University, told USA Today that it could take a decade or more. Similarly, Sameh Badie, an engineering professor at George Washington University, noted that the cost of reconstruction would depend on the new design.

The original Francis Scott Key Bridge, which cost an estimated $110 million, took just five years to build and opened in 1977, according to FOX 10.