WASHINGTON (TND) — Senators examined the ongoing state and federal response to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore earlier this year as Maryland works to plan the rebuilding efforts of the bridge and get the harbor that was essentially shuttered for weeks back on track.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in epic fashion on March 26 when a container ship lost power and crashed into one of its supporting columns, bringing much of the bridge down with it. Six people, immigrants who were working an overnight shift to fill potholes on the bridge, were killed by the collapse.
The main shipping channel into Baltimore’s port was closed for weeks as crews tried to clear the wreckage from the bridge collapse and the ship that caused it was stuck beneath pieces of the bridge. It reopened in June after crews removed some 50,000 tons of steel and concrete from the Patapsco River.
It was a massive effort that involved dozens of federal, state and local agencies working together to clear the wreckage. With cleanup mostly finished and the port fully reopened, focus has not shifted to replacing the Key Bridge.
Officials have said they hope to rebuild the bridge by 2028, and President Joe Biden has pledged to have the federal government cover the cost of a replacement. The administration asked Congress for $3.1 billion in an emergency request in June to go toward rebuilding the bridge and other disasters that have not yet received federal support. Maryland has estimated the cost of a new bridge to be between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion.
“With debris removal nearly complete and the federal channel back in full operation, much of the work remaining to be done will now focus on rebuilding the bridge. Planning efforts are still underway, and rebuilding the bridge will be an immense effort that will very likely require continued collaboration between state, federal and local agencies for years to come,” said Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del.
Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Maryland’s congressional delegation have been working to build enough support among lawmakers to back federal financing of reconstruction.
“We are asking for it 100% because that's what we've done in the past, and we need it now because we are lending contracts to start the construction now,” said Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md. “We don't want to delay this. Every month it's delayed is additional loss to our communities and frustration among drivers, not only those that are directly impacted by the port, but those that are using our streets.”
There is some debate among lawmakers as to whether Congress should fulfill Biden and the Maryland delegation’s push for the federal government to cover all expenses.
Some lawmakers said that because Maryland collected tolls from drivers traveling over the bridge and would continue to do so once it is rebuilt, it would be fair to have the state repay some of the funds it ultimately gets from Congress over time.
“If Congress does not require Maryland to share in the costs of a project like the replacement of the Key Bridge, which will have a revenue source, how can Congress require any other recipient of (Emergency Relief) Program funding to pay their cost share?” said Sen. Shelley Capito, R-W.Va.
The Federal Highway Administration’s ER Program helps communities recover from natural disasters and catastrophic events through providing federal funding to help finance repairs and replacements for damaged roads and bridges.
Maryland Secretary of Transportation Paul Wiedefeld said that the tolls taken over the fallen bridge did not solely finance its operation and that its downfall is costing the state and surrounding areas significant revenue.
“We'll continue to lose that revenue through that through the next four and a half years, that is what we're projecting right now. So, we're losing those dollars now. The other part of that is in effect, we are costing businesses and people every day by the delay of this bridge being built by this by any delay potential delay on this bridge being built,” Wiedefeld said.
The collapse of the Key Bridge has also ramped up urgency to protect bridges and other infrastructure around the country from disasters like what happened in Baltimore. A database kept by the federal government says that of the more than 4,000 bridges that allow ships to go underneath them, only 36% have functional pier protection.
Many of the bridges were built decades ago when cargo ships were significantly smaller than they are today, meaning that they would be built differently in modern times and were constructed using safety standards that fit the size of ships traveling the waters in the U.S.
At a previous House hearing examining the response to the collapse, top U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board officials told lawmakers that larger ships traveling in and out of ports present a greater risk of deadly crashes and may require enhanced protections.
Vice Adm. Peter Gautier told House lawmakers in May that action was needed around the country before investigations on the Key Bridge were wrapped up.
“It is time to more broadly understand these risks,” he said at the hearing.
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