The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What we know about the Baltimore bridge collapse as cleanup continues
BALTIMORE — A tentative timeline has been released for how soon authorities believe they can reopen crucial commercial shipping channels that have been blocked since last week’s bridge collapse in Baltimore. President Joe Biden also visited the port city. And federal and state authorities are ramping up efforts to soften the economic blow to businesses and residents who work in Maryland’s maritime industry. Here’s what we know about as cleanup efforts continue:
Clearing the wreckage
Engineers said Thursday that they expect to restore navigation in and out of the Port of Baltimore by the end of this month.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed within seconds on March 26 after being struck by the cargo ship Dali, which lost power shortly after leaving Baltimore.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it expects to open a limited access channel in the next four weeks. It would support barge container service and some vessels that move automobiles and farm equipment to and from the port.
Meanwhile, the agency is aiming to reopen a permanent navigation channel by the end of May, which would restore port access to normal capacity.
Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, USACE commanding general, has acknowledged that the timelines are “ambitious” and still could be affected by adverse weather or “changes in the complexity of the wreckage.”
Divers also hope to recover the bodies of the six construction workers who died. Weather conditions and the river’s murky water have been making the task difficult, and so far only two of their bodies have been recovered.
Biden’s plans
Biden got a firsthand look Friday at efforts to clear away the “mangled mess” of remains of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, as cranes, ships and diving crews work to reopen one of the nation’s main shipping lanes. Aboard Marine One, circling the warped metal remains and the mass of construction and salvage equipment trying to clear the wreckage of last week’s collapse, Biden got his first up close view of the devastation. On the ground, he received a briefing from local officials, the U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers on the situation in the water and its impacts on the region. Biden also greeted police officers who helped block traffic to
the bridge in the moments before it was hit by the ship, which helped avert an even larger loss of life.
“I’m here to say your nation has your back and I mean it,” Biden said from the shoreline overlooking the collapsed bridge. “Your nation has your back.”
Eight workers were filling potholes on the span. Only two of them survived the collapse.
The White House announced Friday that it’s asking Congress to authorize the federal government to cover 100% of the collapsed bridge cleanup and reconstruction costs, rather than seeking funding through a separate, supplemental funding request.
Authorization is likely no slamdunk in Congress. And funding questions carry political implications as Biden squares off with former President Donald Trump in November’s election.
Aid for businesses, workers
Isabel Casillas Guzman, the administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, visited Baltimore on Thursday to highlight a low-interest loan program that’s available to affected businesses.
The program has received 500 applications, Guzman said, and the funds could start being distributed
within about two weeks. The loans will help keep companies afloat as Baltimore’s vital port remains closed to most maritime traffic. Guzman said the long-term ripple effects will be widespread.
Baltimore’s port handles more cars and farm equipment than any other similar facility in the country, and the disaster has created logistical problems up and down the East Coast.
Safety measures
The deaths of the construction workers have raised questions about whether the company they worked for took proper precautions, including keeping a safety boat nearby that might have been able to warn them at least a few seconds before impact.
Federal regulations require construction companies to keep such boats, commonly known as skiffs, on hand whenever crews are working over waterways, safety experts told The Associated Press. There is no indication that the Brawner construction company had a rescue boat on the water or ready to be launched as the bridge fell. Even if the workers had been warned that the ship was about to hit, it’s unclear if they would have had enough time to scramble to safety.