Port of Brunswick has returned to round-the-clock commercial vessel traffic since a Hyundai Glovis-owned car carrier capsized off the US coast of Georgia three months ago.
The 8 September incident's Unified Command, working with Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), expanded passage in and out of the port to 24 hours on Thursday, authorities said Saturday.
The 7,700-ceu Golden Ray (built 2017) capsised in St. Simons Sound after a fire broke out near its cargo of about 4,000 cars.
Its 24 crewmembers were rescued within two days but the ship has stayed on its side in the sound as salvage crews emptied the fuel tanks and made plans to remove the ship in pieces.
Traffic has been unrestricted "in stages" since the casualty occurred, Michelle Dennis, a staff member with Georgia Department of Natural Resources, told TradeWinds.
It was initially limited to 7pm to 7am local time through October and part of November before being expanded to include 1pm to 5pm a few days ago, she said.
Traffic will still be limited to one-way as inbound and outbound vessels must pass one at a time for the safety of response crews working to prepare the Golden Ray for removal.
“Reopening the Port of Brunswick to around-the-clock transit means greater flexibility for the shipping lines that call on Brunswick, and more timely service for auto manufacturers and other cargo owners,” GPA executive director Griff Lynch said in a statement.
