Owners of cargo ship that caused Baltimore Bridge collapse agree to pay $100M settlement

The Singapore-based companies that own and manage the container ship Dali, which caused a Baltimore bridge to collapse earlier this year, agreed on Thursday to pay a $100 million settlement to the United States.

The Dali collided with one of the columns of the Francis Scott Key bridge in March, after the ship suffered mechanical issues, which caused the bridge to collapse and kill six workers. The incident forced Baltimore to close its port and federal channel for months, which slowed commercial shipping traffic that flowed through Maryland's largest city.

The agreement comes after the Justice Department sued the Dali owner Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and manager Synergy Marine Group last month. The $100 million settlement covers the funds that the U.S. spent cleaning the debris out of the water, according to the Associated Press.

“This resolution ensures that the costs of the federal government’s cleanup efforts in the Fort McHenry Channel are borne by Grace Ocean and Synergy and not the American taxpayer,” Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer said in a statement.

Although shipping traffic has resumed, the bridge still needs to be rebuilt. The funds do not go towards rebuilding the bridge, but the state of Maryland has a separate claim seeking the rebuilding damages, per Politico.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.