Maryland governor says he’s ‘confident’ Congress will pay for new Key Bridge

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore estimated the cost to fix the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge to be between $1.7 and $1.9 billion, as the Port of Baltimore reopened for business last week.

Mr. Moose praised the Biden administration for being “phenomenal partners.”

“We know the estimated cost could be between $1.7 and $1.9 billion. And the reason that we are urging a federal cost share, and a 100% cost share is just simply because we have to move quickly,” Mr. Moore, a Democrat, said. “And I need to get this done on time and on budget. We know that in order to move fast, we’ve got to get that 100% cost share.

“So we’re spending time working with members of both sides of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans, but to know that if we can work together in this moment, we are going to get something really important for the American economy done,” he said.

The bridge collapsed in March after a shipping vessel struck the bridge. The port has been closed until last week.

Back in March, President Biden said the government would pay for the bridge construction.

“It is my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge,” he said at the time. “I expect the Congress to support my effort — this is going to take some time.”

Mr. Moore said he’s been “incredibly encouraged by the amount of support we’ve received from both Democrats and Republicans … and I do feel confident we are going to get this done.”