1 April 2024
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Maryland officials spoke in depth about plans by the U.S. Coast Guard to create a temporary, alternate channel for commercially essential vessels near the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, among other recovery plans.
A piece of the collapsed bridge estimated to weigh about 200 tons was removed Sunday. Governor Wes Moore (D-Md.) said another 350-ton piece is scheduled “later today… pending lighting.”
“A temporary channel on the northeast side of the collapse opened earlier today and will help us to get more vessels in the water around the site of the collapse,” Moore updated. He also said that a channel for larger vessels will open soon.
After announcing that President Joe Biden will visit the site of the bridge collapse on Friday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday, “we’re going to do everything that we can to get the port open, as soon as possible, obviously, to build that bridge.”
Though, when asked for a timeline, Jean-Pierre said, “it is a complicated scenario, so I don’t have a timeline on that.”
The port handles more cars and farm equipment than any other U.S. facility. The Small Business Administration will help small businesses get loans to help them with losses caused by the disruption of the bridge collapse.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott focused on the people most affected by the bridge collapse.
“No human will be left out,” he said. “We will think about the complete human toll for those families that lost individuals to these workers, the over 8000 who depend on this port, every single first responder.”
Moore also announced a website that will provide the most up-to-date information and details on the different components of the response.
Plans for federal aid have yet to be announced, however Jean-Pierre told reporters that the White House is “going to certainly continue to talk to Congress to get some assistance here.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.