(Reuters) – The U.S. government on Thursday awarded an initial $60 million in emergency funding to the state of Maryland to begin removing debris and rebuilding the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, an extraordinary measure following such a disaster. Fast delivery from.
A bridge collapsed early Tuesday in Baltimore Harbor after a giant cargo ship lost power. Two bodies have been recovered and four others are missing and presumed dead, believed to be trapped under concrete and steel in a vehicle that had fallen into the water.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore requested $60 million earlier Friday, and within hours the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration approved the request to fund emergency work.
Such funding typically takes days, but President Joe Biden told reporters Tuesday that he directed the federal government to “move heaven and earth” to quickly rebuild the bridge, which spans four miles of the city of Baltimore. Part of the turning highway.
Governor Moore said at a press conference that the top priority is to recover the missing construction workers who were doing repair work on the bridge when the ship, named Dali, struck a support column at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Officials hope to clear the channel to resume shipping operations; caring for workers, families, and first responders affected by tragedy; And rebuild the bridge.
But first a team of experts must assess how to free the ship, loaded with thousands of containers and stuck in the wreckage of the bridge. Gov. Moore said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is bringing in the largest crane on the Eastern Seaboard to remove pieces of the bridge.
“The branch is almost as tall as the Eiffel Tower and at the top of the branch is the Key Bridge. We’re talking 3,000 or 4,000 tons of steel sitting on top of that ship,” Gov. Moore said.
Divers searching for victims were unable to find sunlight due to the volume and density of the debris, until diving operations were suspended due to safety concerns on Wednesday night.
“In most cases, our divers can’t see more than a foot or two ahead, so most of the operation is just feel,” Gov. Moore said.
Citing a source familiar with the discussions, Roll Call reported that federal officials have told Maryland lawmakers that the final cost of rebuilding the bridge could rise to at least $2 billion.
The US Congress would require funding to build a replacement bridge.
Maryland officials said the emergency funds would support “mobilization, operations and debris removal, laying the foundation for a rapid recovery” and that the state could seek additional emergency funds as damage assessments progress.
The Sri Lanka-bound, Singapore-flagged container ship Dali reported losing power and ability to maneuver before sinking into the support pylon of the bridge.
The impact caused much of the bridge to collapse almost immediately into the mouth of the Patapsco River, blocking shipping lanes and causing the indefinite closure of the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest ports on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard. .
