On Wednesday June 12th, President Biden announced that the Port of Baltimore, one of the largest shipping hubs in the United States, has been fully reopened.
On March 26th, a massive cargo ship collided with the 1.6-mile long Francis Scott Key Bridge during an accident, causing the bridge, one of the busiest in the area, to collapse and resulting in the deaths of six construction workers.
In a statement released at the White House on Wednesday, Biden said, “Thanks to the tireless efforts of all members of the unified command, today all vessels can use fully open waterways, and trade activities at the Port of Baltimore have been fully restored.”
Biden praised the response of the United States Coast Guard, which arrived at the scene within minutes of the collapse, established a unified command to support rescue operations, and worked with the Army Corps of Engineers to clear the wreckage. He commended and thanked the Department of Transportation, Department of Labor, Small Business Administration, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat, and others for their efforts in reopening the port.
“We are always mindful of the families of the victims of the bridge collapse and will continue to stand with the community during the rebuilding period. Thank you to the people of Baltimore for showing us the resilience of Marylanders and the strength of Baltimoreans. Baltimore can rest assured that we will stand by them until the bridge is rebuilt,” Biden said.
After the complete reopening of the waterway at the Port of Baltimore on Monday evening, the port announced its full reopening. This marks the first time that the port has seen fully loaded cargo passing through since the bridge collapse.
The port’s full recovery has been faster than expected, being achieved in less than three months. Last month, Moore stated that despite the estimated time for channel and bridge repairs being “6 to 9 months”, staff are working tirelessly and will reopen the waterways as soon as possible.
During a virtual community update meeting on Tuesday June 11th regarding the bridge reconstruction, the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) stated that the bridge will be rebuilt according to current standards.
Biden pledged that the federal government will cover all costs of rebuilding the bridge, and has approved $60 million in emergency federal aid. However, officials have noted that funding for the bridge reconstruction is still pending approval by Congress.
Officials estimate that salvage operations could cost up to $75 million, while the Coast Guard’s rescue operations have already cost $24 million to date.
MDTA stated that the collapse has affected the jobs of thousands of dockworkers, truck drivers, and small business owners, with economic ripple effects far beyond the Baltimore area.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said at the Tuesday meeting that the project is expected to cost between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, with construction set to begin in mid-2025 and an anticipated completion date of October 15, 2028. MDTA stated that incentive measures will be taken to expedite the project timeline.