OPINION:
On the early morning of March 26th, 2024, a shipping vessel the size of the Eiffel Tower and the weight of the Washington Monument collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland. Within seconds, the bridge plummeted into the water below. Six Marylanders died. The vessel ran aground, and pieces of the bridge lay across the ship’s bow. The Port of Baltimore – one of the largest ports in the world – was suddenly closed to vessel traffic.
In the weeks and months since the collapse, our administration has moved in partnership with first responders, the U. S. military, and leaders at the local, state, and national levels to address four key directives. We promised to bring comfort and closure to the families, fully reopen the federal channel, support everyone affected by this crisis, and rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
We have moved with speed and focus to deliver on each of these goals. We recovered the remains of all six Marylanders who were killed in the collapse, reuniting the victims with their loved ones and helping to provide closure to the families of those taken from us far too soon. We refloated and moved the container ship Dali and are on track to fully reopen the Port of Baltimore to vessel traffic. And we passed bipartisan legislation at the state level to assist workers and businesses affected by the collapse.
Now, we must turn our focus toward rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Our work to rebuild the bridge isn’t born out of nostalgia; it’s born out of necessity: you cannot have a fully functioning Port of Baltimore and a fully functioning I-95 corridor if the Key Bridge is missing.
Activities at the Port of Baltimore are deeply tied to the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Nearly 40,000 vehicles traveled over the Key Bridge every weekday before it collapsed. Truckers depended on the bridge to haul cargo from the port out into the rest of the country. Dock workers depended on the bridge to get from where they live to where they work.
The Key Bridge was more than a Baltimore thoroughfare – it was a national gateway from the North to the South and East to West. Before the collapse, the bridge served as a central link along the I-95 Corridor. If you wanted to move a shipment from Philadelphia to Petersburg, you may have depended on the Key Bridge. If you needed to get your products from Washington to Wilmington, you may have depended on the Key Bridge.
The Key Bridge played a critical role in commerce because of restrictions on the transportation of materials labeled “hazardous” – also known as “hazmat.” Hazmats include everything from fuel to cleaning supplies to batteries. Trucks carrying hazmat aren’t allowed in tunnels, so the only way that they can move along the I-95 corridor is over the Key Bridge. In 2020, $21.5 billion in commercial freight moved across the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and much of the freight fell into the “hazmat” category.
The I-95 Corridor is one of the most important commercial assets in the country. Companies who move to the region know they can depend on a reliable, consistent, and predictable supply chain. Now, that certainty is challenged following the collapse of the bridge – and some commuters are starting to slow their travel to and through Baltimore because they believe the city is closed. This isn’t just a Maryland crisis – it is a national crisis. And the national government has a duty to respond.
Our administration has worked closely with national leaders to move forward on efforts to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Maryland’s congressional delegation introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to ensure the federal government pays for 100% of the rebuilding effort. We visited Capitol Hill and welcomed more than two dozen congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle to Baltimore so they could see the wreckage up close. Our team has been in close and consistent contact with the Biden-Harris Administration, who have been true partners every step of the way.
A few weeks ago, I met with Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. He spoke to me about the time he was Oklahoma secretary of state during the Oklahoma City Bombing. He emphasized that there are certain tragedies that transcend state lines.
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge is one of those moments, and I am grateful that members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have committed to working together to address this catastrophic situation.
We’re making progress – but our team will not rest until we marshal the resources necessary to fully rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Now is the time for us to buck the trend of political division, join forces, and throw our energy behind this recovery effort. And by standing united, we can, and will, rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
• Wes Moore is the 63rd governor of Maryland. A Democrat, Moore is Maryland’s first Black governor and a veteran Army officer who served in Afghanistan.
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