Biden Approves $60m in Aid After Deadly Baltimore Bridge Collapse – Maryland Governor Wes Moore cautioned that the recovery process from the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge will be lengthy. The Biden administration has approved $60 million in immediate federal aid following the tragic incident.
However, this funding is allocated for the removal of debris and managing traffic to restore Baltimore’s shipping routes, rather than for the reconstruction of the damaged bridge itself. Enormous barges carrying cranes have been deployed to Baltimore to commence the intricate task of clearing the Patapsco River of twisted metal and concrete debris resulting from the collision of a 948ft (290m) container ship with one of the bridge’s supports, causing it to collapse early on Tuesday.
The Maryland Department of Transportation conveyed to the Federal Highway Administration in a letter that their current projection for the mobilization, operations, and debris removal associated with the bridge amounts to $60 million. The letter says the state’s funding for emergencies is “limited and unable to fund an emergency of this magnitude”.
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As the cleanup effort following the collapse of the 1.6 mile-long bridge progresses, it is expected that the cost estimate for the disaster will increase. President Joe Biden has committed federal funding to cover the “entire cost” of the disaster. “President Biden and all our federal partners have given Maryland tremendous support as we face an overwhelming tragedy impacting our state, our region and the people of Baltimore,” said Wes Moore, Maryland’s governor, in a statement.
“This initial emergency relief request is needed for our immediate response efforts, and to lay the foundation for a rapid recovery.” Moore promised that “the best minds in the world” were working on plans to clear the debris. “Government is working hand in hand with industry to investigate the area, including the wreck, and remove the ship,” said Moore. “This work is not going to take hours.”
“This work is not going to take days. This work is not going to take weeks,” Moore said. “We have a very long road ahead of us.” On Wednesday night, US Coast Guard officials reported that barges were en route to the location where the Patapsco River intersected with the bridge, but the arrival time remained uncertain.
The extensive devastation at the collapse site, caused by the cargo ship striking a support pillar of the bridge after losing power early Tuesday, is profound. Divers recovered the bodies of two individuals in a pickup truck near the middle section of the bridge on Wednesday. However, authorities indicated that before reaching the bodies of four other missing workers, they would need to clear the tangled wreckage.
The victims were part of a crew repairing potholes on the bridge at the time of the tragic incident. National Transportation Safety Board officials boarded the cargo ship, the Dali, to retrieve data from its electronics and documents, and to conduct interviews with the captain and crew members.
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Containment booms have been deployed in the vicinity to manage any oil leakage into the water, and state environmental agencies commenced water sampling on Thursday. The abrupt closure of a thoroughfare handling 30,000 vehicles daily, along with port disruptions, will impact not only thousands of dockworkers and commuters but also US consumers, who are likely to experience shipping delays.
