Construction cranes were sent to Baltimore on Friday to take away the debris from Francis Scott Key Bridge, which partially fell on Tuesday when a cargo ship hit it.
Several cranes are positioned in the Patapsco River to remove debris and prepare for the rebuilding and eventual reopening of the Port of Baltimore, a major shipping center that has been closed since the incident. the incident.
One of the largest cranes on the East Coast is also expected to help with the recovery efforts and make it easier for rescue teams to find missing victims, according to multiple media reports.
The Dali, a cargo ship registered in Singapore and heading to Sri Lanka, lost power and crashed into the bridge around 1:30 a.m. EDT Tuesday morning, causing multiple construction workers to fall into the river as the structure collapsed.
Eight workers were repairing potholes on the bridge at the time of the incident. Two survived, the bodies of two others and a red pickup truck were recovered from the water, and four are still missing.
The U.S. government approved $60 million in aid to Maryland as the state government works on fixing the bridge. Some have estimated the repair costs could be as high as $2 billion, but the actual cost is uncertain.
President Biden stated the federal government will “do everything possible” to ensure the bridge is reconstructed.
“We need to clear the channel and open vessel traffic to the port because the health of the Maryland economy and the national economy depends on it,” Gov. Wes Moore (D) said during a press conference.
Biden told reporters Friday that he would visit the city, alongside Moore, sometime next week.
The National Transportation Safety Board has been conducting an investigation into the crash.
The cargo ship had 23 people on board, including 21 crew members and two pilots.
The Hill has reached out to the Department of Transportation for comment.
