DUNDALK, Md. — On Thursday night, roughly three days after a ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, a room full of local leaders met with the press and outlined what the recovery could look like moving forward.
Leaders stressed empathy for the families who lost loved ones and a thorough and safe recovery for the port, which is important to Baltimore's and the nation's economy.
"At this point in the recovery, we are moving forward with a number of key priorities," Moore said. Those include four directives: focus on recovery, clearing the channel and reopening vessel traffic, taking care of those affected by the crisis, and rebuilding the bridge itself.
"We have a very long road ahead of us," Moore said Thursday. "We understand that, and we're prepared."
The Biden administration approved a state request for an initial $60 million to cover operation and recovery efforts Thursday evening.
Leaders say the Army Corps of Engineers is moving the largest crane on the eastern seaboard to Baltimore to help.
"But before we can actually engage in lifting," noted Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath of the U.S. Coast Guard, "we've got to complete the assessment process of the bridge and the pieces of the bridge that are in the water, so we can figure out how to cut the bridge into the right size pieces so we can actually lift them with the crane. And we are doing those assessments right now…"
The State Dept. of Transportation is focused on the traffic implications, working with the port on job issues and business needs, and planning and designing the new bridge.
"We understand the enormous impact this is having on families, commuters, and the region as a whole," said Paul Wiedefeld, secretary of transportation for the state of Maryland. "We ask everyone to be patient as you can be, and we ask them to please travel slowly, give themselves some more time, so we don't create other issues, particularly the work we're doing on our highway system."
Wiedefeld told reporters that since the collapse, about 15,000 more commuters are moving through the Fort McHenry Tunnel, and 7,000 through the Harbor Tunnel.
"To the people of the state: I say, we are going to get through this. Because we are Maryland tough and we are Baltimore strong," Moore said.
Leaders expected crane deliveries late Thursday night.
Four missing people are still unaccounted for, officials said Thursday.
Gov. Wes Moore has launched an unemployment insurance hotline for workers impacted by the port closure: 667-930-5989.
