More than $100M spent to remove Key Bridge wreckage, feds say
By Tolly Taylor
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BALTIMORE, Maryland (WBAL) — Federal officials revealed for the first time that more than $100 million has been spent so far to remove wreckage from the Patapsco River after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
Officials touted the Key Bridge Response Unified Command’s efforts to successfully reopen the Federal Channel and the Port of Baltimore less than 100 days after the collapse.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he expects cargo traffic to return to normal at the Port of Baltimore and that his department plans to enforce that with regulations.
Buttigieg, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Maj. Gen. Butch Graham, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian discussed during a press briefing on Tuesday what it took to reopen the port, sharing new details about the challenges as crane operators, divers, mariners, salvage experts and others worked to reopen the full 700-foot-wide by 50-foot-deep Federal Channel.
“This is a key milestone and extraordinary moment, something that’s coming, I think, much sooner than many of the observers who saw that footage that terrible night could have anticipated. And, (it’s) a credit to the teamwork of so many different players within, across, but certainly beyond the federal government,” Buttigieg said.
Other brief takeaways from the press briefing include:
COSTS: Salvors have invoiced $64 million for work, so far, with costs expected to rise to between $70 million and $75 million, Graham said. Gilreath said the Coast Guard’s costs are roughly $24 million.
CAR CARGO: Vehicle shipments that would typically have gone through the Port of Baltimore were delivered as far north as Rhode Island and as far south as Georgia, but the finishing and processing of those shipments occurred in Baltimore because of the port’s unique facilities, Buttigieg said. Officials said an existing grant with Tradepoint Atlantic was revised to allow the facility to double the number of auto imports/exports processed there.
PORT WILL REBOUND: Buttigieg said he believes disruptions to ship traffic were temporary and that the port will return to previous traffic levels. Gilreath said they’re seeing port traffic return with roll-onroll-off carriers, auto carriers and cruise ships, among others. Over the weekend, one of the largest container vessels with 11,000 units came into the port.
IMPACT OF PORT’S CLOSURE: The most acute effects of the Port of Baltimore’s closure were felt locally, especially by workers.
WRECKAGE REMOVED: Officials said crews have removed 50,000 tons of concrete and steel from the channel since the collapse. Graham said 3,800 dump truck loads of concrete and steel were underwater from the bridge.
SAFETY: There were no injuries throughout the dangerous salvage process.
PAYING FOR A NEW BRIDGE: Officials said President Joe Biden made very clear that the federal government will cover 100% of the cost to rebuild the bridge, saying the Maryland congressional delegation is leading the process to ensure the funding. Officials said the state could also get recoveries from insurance.
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