Dali, container ship in Baltimore bridge collapse, leaves Hampton Roads for China

The Dali, a container ship responsible for the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, left Hampton Roads after several weeks of repair work.

Flanked by three tugs and two boat crews from Coast Guard Station Portsmouth and Coast Guard Station Little Creek, the Dali began its voyage about 1 p.m. Thursday. According to the Coast Guard, it is headed to China. The Coast Guard’s escort keeps a safety zone of 500 yards around the ship until it reaches the Chesapeake Bay Lighted Whistle Buoy.

The 984-foot ship a rrived in Hampton Roads in June after the March accident. It initially was dropped off at Virginia International Gateway in Portsmouth, where crews unloaded containers to reduce draft. It then went to Norfolk International Terminals for more repairs and salvage.

The Dali lost power in the early hours of March 26, crashing into the Francis Scott Key Bridge and collapsing the structure into the Patapsco River. Debris from the disaster blocked Baltimore’s shipping channel for more than two months, and six construction workers died in the collapse.

The Justice Department is suing the ship’s owner and manager to recover more than $100 million the government spent to clear the underwater debris and reopen the city’s port. The Justice Department alleges that mechanical and electrical systems on the massive container ship had been “jury-rigged” and improperly maintained.

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com