March 26, 2024 - Baltimore Key Bridge collapses after ship collision

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that it’s his intention that the “federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstruction in that bridge.”

It’s possible that some of the funding could come from the bipartisan infrastructure law – one of Biden’s key legislative accomplishments that passed in 2021. It authorized $550 billion in new federal investments. As with any massive spending package with hundreds of funding streams, it's difficult to track exactly how much money remains. But the money is being disbursed over a five-year period, so there will be funds available through 2026. 

Most of the money passes through the US Department of Transportation and is awarded to states and projects on an annual basis through one of two ways:

After a 447-foot-long, four-lane bridge collapsed in Pittsburgh in 2022 — hours before Biden was scheduled to visit the city — money from the infrastructure law helped rebuild the bridge quickly without affecting funding for other critical projects in the region. The bridge reopened within one year.

President Joe Biden said he will visit Baltimore soon following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge Tuesday morning.

Responding to a question about whether he planned to visit Baltimore, Biden said, "I do, and as quickly as I can."

The president did not provide specifics on when he plans to visit.

President Joe Biden said Tuesday he wants the federal government to bear the full cost of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key bridge after it collapsed in Baltimore Tuesday morning.

That could include funding from the Federal Highway Administration, as well as funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that provides competitive grants to improve the nation’s bridges. But it could require additional funding from Congress.

"It's my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge," Biden said from the White House. "I expect the Congress to support my effort — this is going to take some time."

Responding to a reporter who asked whether the company who owns the container vessel Dali, which collided with the bridge and caused the collapse, should pay for the bridge's reconstruction, Biden said, "We're not going to wait for that to happen."

He continued, “I’ve directed my team to move heaven and earth to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as humanly possible,” adding that the federal government will work “hand in hand” with the state of Maryland. 

There is no indication that the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore was the result of an intentional act, President Joe Biden said from the White House Tuesday morning.

The president promised a large response from the federal government, and said he has spoken with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, along with Maryland's two senators.

Biden noted he has traveled over the Francis Scott Key bridge "many, many times" during his commutes between Washington, DC and Delaware.

President Joe Biden is addressing the Tuesday morning collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore from the White House.

The remarks come ahead of a trip to North Carolina Biden is taking with Vice President Kamala Harris.

The White House earlier Tuesday tweeted a picture of Biden being briefed on the collapse in the Oval Office with senior White House advisers.

The president will continue to receive updates about the collapse and search-and-rescue efforts throughout the day, the White House said.

As the response to the Baltimore bridge collapse shifts from a search-and-rescue mission to a recovery phase, there will be a sense of urgency to open up federal funding to remove debris and ultimately rebuild the bridge, given the economic significance of the Port of Baltimore, which is currently indefinitely closed, and the fact that the bridge is a key traffic artery for commuting Marylanders. 

With emergency operations underway, federal and state officials will be working around the clock to assess the damage and the cost to rebuild – and rebuild quickly, Winkler said. The National Transportation Safety Board has already launched a “go team” to investigate the collapse. 

Winkler said it will be key to watch whether and how soon the president declares a federal emergency, which can help cut red tape involved with certain regulations and contracting rules.

Benfil Mendez, 37, lives a block away from the southern entrance of the bridge near Fort Armistead Park. He works in construction and he said the bridge's collapse will affect his everyday life.

"It affects us a lot," he told CNN in an interview conducted in Spanish. "To get to work on the other side through other routes, we're talking about a 45-minute difference."

He said his family didn't hear anything at night when the bridge collapsed, but he, his wife and their four children gathered near a gas station Tuesday to see what was going on. They learned about the incident on the news, he added.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz offered the people of Maryland resources, in the wake of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, calling the incident "heart-wrenching" on X.

"As we pray for the people of Maryland, we're offering any resources they may need as they grapple with this tragedy," he wrote.

The state faced a similar tragedy in 2007, when the Interstate 35W bridge over the Mississippi River near downtown Minneapolis collapsed, taking down more than 100 vehicles with it. Thirteen people died from the incident, with 145 people injured.

At the time, the bridge was loaded with rush hour traffic along with heavy construction equipment, which officials said contributed to the collapse. A multimillion-dollar settlement was reached a few years later between the victims of the collapse and the engineering firm responsible for the bridge's inspection.

Rescue efforts are underway Tuesday after a container ship lost power and crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore overnight, causing it to collapse.

Here's what the aftermath of the collision looks like: