Baltimore Key Bridge collapse: Temporary channel opens for boats working on bridge response

Highly trained demolition crews will begin cutting the top portion of the north side of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge into smaller sections for safe removal by crane. One crane barge and one working barge are staged at the incident to support Saturday’s operations.

Salvage teams will use gas-powered cutters to systematically separate sections of the steel bridge, which will be taken to a disposal site. At the same time, salvage divers continue to conduct underwater assessments of the work site to support further operations. Every lifting operation requires engineering analysis to inform salvage operation plans.

The Unified Command is working in partnership with Baltimore Gas and Electric to reduce pressure of an underwater pipeline that spans the width of the channel and runs under the incident site. Unified Command is coordinating to inert the pipeline to free it from hazards and risk. Pipeline operations will continue through the weekend.

The Unified Command continues to maintain a 2000-yard maritime Safety Zone for the recovery efforts and a Temporary Flight Restriction with a radius of three nautical miles from the surface -- up to and including 1,500 feet above ground level -- also remains in effect.

The Safety Zone is enforced for the protection of personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from the potential hazards associated with salvage work. The vessel remains stable with crew aboard.

-ABC News' Sam Sweeney

The first portions of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge will be lifted out of the water on Saturday, marking the start of attempts to clear the channel to access to the Port of Baltimore, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced.

"The north sections of the Key Bridge are going to be cut up and removed, this will eventually allow us to open up a temporary restricted channel that will help us to get more vessels in the water, around the sight of the collapse," Moore said.

"This restricted channel will allow barges, tug boats, and other smaller marine vessels to get around the wreckage. Once these portions are removed, the Army Corps of Engineers and its partners will need to reevaluate and assess the integrity of the wreckage before more sections are removed," Moore said.

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1st portions of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge will be lifted SaturdayThe first portions of the Francis Scott Key Bridge will be lifted out of the water on Saturday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced.

ABCNews.com

-ABC News' Davone Morales

The Unified Command dispatched the Chesapeake 1000 early Friday morning and plans to dispatch an additional seven cranes, 10 tugs and nine barges over the next 120 hours.

-ABC News’ Sam Sweeney

Three cranes from the U.S. Navy have arrived in Baltimore to remove submerged portions of the bridge, and a fourth crane is set to arrive next week, the Navy said.

The Chesapeake has a 1,000-ton lift capacity, the Ferrell has a 200-ton lift capacity and the Oyster Bay has a 150-ton lift capacity, the Navy said.

"Work will focus on disassembling and removing the bridge section by section. The disassembled pieces will be lifted onto barges, which will then be transported away," the Navy said in a statement. "An additional 12 crane and support vessels to include tugs, survey, dive and crew boats, are in the mobilization process and will arrive to Baltimore in the coming days."