On March 26, a container ship hit one of the support columns of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse and blocking the port.

Officials in Baltimore plan to open a deeper channel for commercial ships to access the city’s port starting April 25, in a major step toward reopening the vast maritime hub that remains closed to most traffic since the bridge collapse.

On March 26, a container ship hit one of the support columns of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse and blocking the port.

The new canal will have a maximum depth of 10.7 meters (35 feet), a significant increase over three other temporary canals opened in recent weeks.

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The cargo ship that brought down the bridge lost power and veered off course shortly after leaving the port of Baltimore for Sri Lanka.

The Dali remains stranded in the middle of the rubble and crews are removing the enormous twisted iron that fell on the deck.

Officials have said crews have removed enough debris to open the new channel to “essential commercial vessels” from Thursday through Monday or the following Monday. The ships must have a local pilot on board and two tugboats to escort them through the channel.

Starting next week, the canal will be closed again until approximately May 10 to accommodate “crucial and highly dynamic salvage operations,” port authorities said in a statement.