Agencies Make Plans In The Aftermath Of Key Bridge Collapse

Search efforts are ongoing for six construction workers following the Tuesday morning collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Two workers were rescued yesterday. Although it is unlikely the remaining six workers are found alive, Governor Wes Moore said the state wants to bring closure to the families.

The Singapore-flagged Dali container ship collided with the 1.6-mile bridge around 1:30am Tuesday after losing power. The ship’s crew notified the Maryland Department of Transportation before the collision, which allowed authorities to close the bridge to vehicles and save the lives of drivers, Moore said.

Roughly 30,000 vehicles crossed the bridge each day and the Port of Baltimore is a major hub along the East Coast. During an appearance on “Good Morning America,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg did not blame the condition of the Key Bridge for the tragedy.

“This is a vessel that was about 100,000 tons carrying its load,” Buttigieg said. “So 200 million pounds went into this bridge all at once, which is why you had that almost-instant catastrophic result."

During a press conference Tuesday, President Joe Biden ruled out an act of terrorism.

“Everything so far indicates that this was a terrible accident,” Biden said. “At this time, we have no other indication — no other reason to believe there was any intentional act here.”

Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson said this morning that the state is drafting an emergency bill to offer income for the more than 15,000 workers who rely on the Port of Baltimore for work.

How long could it take for the bridge to be rebuilt? That is still being determined. As a reference, the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis in 2007, killing 13 people. That bridge was rebuilt within 14 months. In contrast, when the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay was struck by a freighter and collapsed in 1980, killing 35, a replacement did not open until 1987. It is too soon to project how long it will take to replace the Key Bridge.

Biden expects to have the support of Congress to fully fund a replacement bridge.

“I told them we’re going to send all the federal resources they need as we respond to this emergency, and I mean all the federal resources,” Biden said. “And we’re going to rebuild that port together.”