Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
BALTIMORE — A massive salvaging effort is underway to reopen the Port of Baltimore after the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The Navy has mobilized a 1,000-ton lift capacity derrick barge, a 400-ton lift-capacity revolving crane barge and a 160-ton revolving crane to help lift debris from the water, a huge undertaking in the works.
Officials say the section of the bridge trapping the cargo ship dolly weighs between 3,000 and 4,000 tons, so before the Army Corps of Engineers can start moving anything off the water, they’re going to have to cut the debris into smaller pieces.
All vessel traffic in and out of the port was suspended in the wake of the collapse, but it has remained open for trucks. It isn’t clear yet how long it will take to clear the 700-foot span of the channel of thousands of tons of debris.
The Baltimore district of the corps activated its Emergency Operations Center, which clears the way for more than 1,100 engineering, construction, contracting and operations specialists to provide support to local, state and federal agencies.
CBS News correspondent Kris Van Cleave reports everything needs to be cleared from the bottom of the channel — 50 feet below the surface — because there is only 12 to 18 inches of clearance between the bottom of the channel and the hull of a cargo ship loaded down with containers.
“There is a lot of speculation as to when the channel will be reopened,” the Port said in a statement Friday. “The fact of the matter is we do not know. Please understand that we are working minute-by-minute with our federal, state and local partners to make that happen as quickly as possible.
The port is the ninth-busiest in the United States, according to Census data, and handled more than $80 billion in import and exports last year, the most in 20 years. It is also home to Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian cruise lines.
Directly, the port supports 15,300 jobs, while another 140,000 in the area are related to port activities. The jobs provide a combined $3.3 billion in personal income, according to a CBS News report.
“The most urgent priority is to open the Port of Baltimore because it is essential to the livelihood of people here in Baltimore, in Maryland, and the economies across our country and around the world,” U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen said in a news conference Wednesday.
Maryland lawmakers are drafting emergency legislation for income replacement to assist thousands of Port of Baltimore workers impacted by the disruption.
Eight people, part of a construction crew filling potholes, were on the bridge at the time of the collapse. Two were rescued, two bodies have been recovered, and four remain missing.
So far, four of the victims have been identified:
The bodies of Cabrera and Fuente were recovered from a submerged pickup truck. The search for bodies was paused Wednesday because divers can no longer operate around the mangled bridge debris that has encased submerged vehicles, officials said.
Maryland is receiving an initial $60 million in emergency funding from the federal government as the state works to clear the debris. The state sent a letter of request for relief to pay for mobilization, operations and debris recovery.
President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he intends to push the federal government to pay for the entire reconstruction of the bridge, and pledged to work with Maryland leaders to provide as much support as possible.
“It is my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge, and I expect the Congress to support my effort,” Biden said earlier, adding that he plans to visit Baltimore as soon as he can.
The $60 million estimate made by the state of Maryland for initial expenses is, at most, just 10% of the estimated cost for response to the disaster, CBS News learned following a Maryland Congressional delegation meeting.
The Maryland delegation talked about likely costs exceeding $1 billion and a “need for an emergency supplemental” aid package from Congress.
BALTIMORE – Maryland is receiving an initial funding of $60 million from the federal government as the state works to clear the debris remaining from the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
The state sent a letter of request on Wednesday for Emergency Relief funding for mobilization, operations and debris recovery.
“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. “I’m grateful for the way the administration has continued to lean in and support us.”
Early Tuesday morning, a cargo ship crashed into Baltimore’s bridge, sending eight construction workers into the Patapsco River. One refused treatment, another was discharged from shock trauma, and the bodies of two others were recovered Wednesday morning. Four more are missing and are presumed to be dead.
“The State of Maryland’s budget for emergencies is limited and unable to fund an emergency of this magnitude,” Wiedefeld wrote.
Wiedefeld had hoped for a “quick release” of the $60 million.
“We have applied for the federal dollars that are available for this type of purpose,” Wiedefeld said. “We intend to receive some federal dollars quickly and then we will start with the design for the replacement of the bridge to the port and get the community back up and running.”
Officials at a press conference on Wednesday said the first priority is to remove the debris from the Patapsco River, which will be assisted by the Army Corps of Engineers so that the shipping lanes can reopen.
The Baltimore district of the Army Corps of Engineers activated its Emergency Operations Center, which clears the way for more than 1,100 engineering, construction, contracting and operations specialists to provide support to local, state and federal agencies.
They are patrolling the waters of the Harbor and Patapsco River for drift and debris that could be hazardous to navigation.
“The most urgent priority is to open the Port of Baltimore because it is essential to the livelihood of people here in Baltimore, in Maryland, and the economies across our country and around the world,” U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen said.
President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he intends to push the federal government to pay for the entire reconstruction of the bridge, and pledged to work with Maryland leaders to provide as much support as possible.
“It is my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge, and I expect the Congress to support my effort,” Biden said, adding that he plans to visit Baltimore as soon as he can.
The $60 million estimate made by the state of Maryland for initial expenses is, at most, just 10% of the estimated cost for response to the disaster, CBS News has learned following a Maryland Congressional delegation meeting.
The Maryland delegation talked about likely costs exceeding $1 billion and a “need for an emergency supplemental” aid package from Congress.
Scott MacFarlane contributed reporting.
IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.
Now Playing
02:27
UP NEXT
01:51
02:10
01:29
02:46
01:03
04:01
00:38
05:25
01:56
02:38
04:15
01:55
01:03
04:50
03:53
03:01
01:21
01:24
02:30
Now Playing
02:27
UP NEXT
01:51
02:10
01:29
02:46
01:03