BALTIMORE — It's almost been a week since the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and four victims have yet to be recovered.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore along with other state leaders and officials held a news conference on Monday to update the public on recovery efforts.
The governor said there are several steps to take, beginning with recovering the four remaining victims and bringing closure to their families. Then clearing the channel and opening the port for necessary vessel traffic. Moore continued with the third step being to take care of all of the people affected by the crisis including the 8,000 dock workers whose jobs were directly impacted.
The last step is to rebuild the bridge.
"We need to, and we will, rebuild the Key Bridge and we will make sure the new bridge honors the spirit of the city of Baltimore," said Gov. Moore.
Moore explained there are several difficulties and challenges when it comes to clearing the channel and rebuilding the bridge. He said he knows there is an urgency to move fast but every time someone goes in that water they are taking a risk.
"This is a steel bridge that is sitting on top of a container ship in the middle of the Patapsco River. We are talking about tons of mangled steel. We are talking about water that is so murky and so filled with debris that divers cannot see any more than a foot or two in front of them," Moore said.
Moore said it is imperative crews move forward with caution. Fast, but not careless, while prioritizing safety.
"We've already lost six Marylanders to this crisis. I refuse to lose anymore."
As of April 1, crews have completed their first crane operation. They cut up and lifted a 200-ton span section of the bridge. The operation took ten hours.
A temporary channel on the northeast side of the collapse opened earlier Monday to help get more vessels in the water around the site of the collapse. The temporary channel will be marked with government lights and have a controlling depth of 11 feet. Crews are also moving forward with a plan to create a southwest channel for vessels that need deeper water, measuring at 15-feet deep. Moore said it will open in the next couple of days.
Crews plan on lifting an estimated 350-ton piece from the bridge Monday afternoon pending weather conditions, specifically lightning.
"These are stepping stones to finishing a marathon," Moore explained.
In addition, Moore spoke about the workers and nearby businesses impacted by the collapse. He reminded businesses that the Biden-Harris Administration has approved a small business administration disaster declaration. This means small businesses affected by the disaster can now apply for disaster loan assistance from the federal government. These are low-interest loans of up to $2M.
When it comes to the next steps though, first things first. Before officials can even think about rebuilding the bridge, crews must clear the wreckage underneath. To do so, they will need to cut up the bridge into more manageable pieces to get out of the waterway. This is expected to take a long time.
"We will do it quickly but the right and safe way. Baltimore will recover. It will be long and likely a hard road, but here in Baltimore we are built with grit. Old Bay seasoned grit and we are going to show the world what that means," said Gov. Moore.
Also during Monday's news conference, Maryland State Police reminded everyone the Key Bridge is under a no-fly zone. Therefore a "no drone policy" around the area of the collapse is in place. A representative with the police department said that in the past week, there have been several incidents with people violating the law by flying drones within a three-mile radius of the Key Bridge. He said violators will face federal charges and urged others to stay away.
To watch the full news conference, click here:
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