BALTIMORE, Md. (DC News Now) — The U.S. Department of Transportation approved $60 million in funding for repairs at Baltimore’s Key Bridge on Thursday.
“We are deeply grateful to President Biden, to Secretary Buttigieg, to our federal delegation and all of our federal partners,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said during a news conference Thursday.
Moore said that the funds would pay for work emergency repairs, debris removal, designs and reconstruction.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning after the cargo ship Dali lost power and hit one of the bridge’s supports.
During Thursday’s conference, Moore said that the response will take time. He said 4,000 pounds of steel on top of the Dali will need to be removed before the ship can be moved.
Officials said that the largest crane in the eastern seaboard will be moving to Baltimore to help in the response. Moore expected the crane to arrive by Thursday evening.
The U.S. Coast Guard said that it needed to finish an assessment to figure out how to cut the bridge into small pieces. The crane will then lift these pieces to reopen the waterways for the Port of Baltimore.
Moore said Thursday that 56 containers that were on the Dali contained hazardous materials. Responders had already deployed measures to contain any leaks or pollution and there was no risk to people working.
The U.S. Coast Guard said that 14 containers with soap, perfume and resin material were impacted. Crews were monitoring air quality and had not gotten any alerts.
Moore said he’s completely committed to helping the city recover but it will be a long road for Baltimore.
“I’m calling on everybody to do their part,” he said. “In this game, nobody gets to sit on the sidelines. We need every single Baltimorean and we need every single Marylander to join us in this work to rebuild this bridge and rebuild this city.”
On Thursday evening, Unified Command paused dive operations and vehicle recovery because of “hazardous conditions caused by the submerged wreckage and debris.” It also established a 2,000-yard Safety Zone around the ship.
Moore acknowledged first responders and more who have been involved in Thursday’s press conference. He said that he and other officials met with these responders and their families at Camden Yards’ opening day Thursday, calling these individuals “true heroes.”
Among those responders were Maryland Transportation Authority Police Officers Paul Pastorek, Jeremy Herbert and Garry Kirts. The three officers stepped forward to stop traffic from going onto the bridge when the Dali first reported issues.
A crew of construction workers was on the bridge when the collapse happened. Rescue teams got two of the workers from the Patapsco River on Tuesday, but six other workers who fell during the collapse were presumed dead on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, recovery teams recovered the bodies of two of those six workers — Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, of Baltimore, originally from Mexico, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, of Dundalk, originally from Guatemala.
Moore said Thursday that he had visited Shock Trauma, where he spoke with one of the survivors.
Statistics showed that over 30,000 people used the bridge daily. Moore announced an unemployment hotline for any affected workers at (667) 930-5989.
