KENT ISLAND, MD. - The Dali safely passed beneath the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Monday morning, drawing a crowd of curious spectators equipped with binoculars.
Bill Bailey, one of the onlookers, shared his motivation for attending. "I'd just like to see how much damage was actually done to the ship. I've seen pictures in the news, but just to get up close and personal, just to see how bad it really was," Bailey said.
Others were there out of anticipation and concern. Courtney Chambliss, a Kent Island resident, explained her reaction upon hearing the bridge would be closed for the Dali's passage. "When I heard they were closing it down, I thought, 'Oh, they're closing the bridge down for an hour?' But then I thought, 'Well, it's probably safer to close it and just make sure the Dali goes through okay." We asked Chambliss if that a bit of a concern for her. She replied, "It was a little one. I thought, 'Ooh, I don't want to have to go all the way around to go to Baltimore,'" Chambliss said.
From the land, spectators watched tugboats carefully guide the Dali under the bridge. Aerial views from Chopper 16 revealed crushed containers still on the ship, remnants of the accident.
For some, today marked the end of a traumatic experience. "I came up here today to see the Dali go through, to finally put an end to what happened to the Key Bridge," Chambliss added.
Debbie Wolf, another Kent Island resident, reflected on the day of the accident. "The day that the accident happened, I watched it all day. It was horrific, as everyone knows, and the lives that were lost. Actually, I just wanted to see it in person. I know it was big, but I just wanted to see it go by," Wolf said.
The Dali's final destination is the Port of Virginia in Norfolk as it continues its journey along the Chesapeake Bay.
For more updates on it journey click here.