Current:Home > ContactMaryland lawmakers say coming bill will clarify that feds fully pay for replacing Baltimore bridge -Infinite Profit Zone
Maryland lawmakers say coming bill will clarify that feds fully pay for replacing Baltimore bridge
View
Date:2025-04-20 01:07:51
WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of Maryland’s congressional delegation announced Tuesday they will soon introduce a bill that will make clear the federal government will fully cover the cost of rebuilding Baltimore’s collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The federal government generally picks up 90% of the tab and the state 10% when replacing bridges, but exceptions have occurred in similar emergency cases, said Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., after lawmakers attended a closed-door briefing on cleanup efforts. The legislation will also make clear that any money recovered from third parties will be used to reimburse federal taxpayers.
“The fundamental issue right now is passing legislation to clarify that this is 100% a federal responsibility,” Cardin said.
Officials said it’s unclear how much money will be required to replace the bridge, which collapsed last month after it was struck by a cargo ship. Some experts estimate recovery will take at least 18 months and cost $400 million. But Cardin said the final tab will depend upon the design of the bridge and the modern technologies included to accommodate far more barge traffic than was originally envisioned when the bridge was built in the 1970s.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the Biden administration expects that federal taxpayers will eventually be made whole for replacing the bridge, but that may take a while.
“Whatever insurance litigation and other related processes play out, we are not going to wait for them to play out to make sure these dollars are getting to where they need to be,” Buttigieg said. “And where they need to be is helping the people of Maryland rebuild right now.”
The bridge fell March 26 after it was hit by the cargo ship Dali, which lost power shortly after leaving Baltimore, bound for Sri Lanka. The ship issued a mayday alert with just enough time for police to stop traffic but not enough time to save a roadwork crew filling potholes on the bridge.
More than 50 salvage divers and 12 cranes are on site to help cut out sections of the bridge and remove them from the key waterway. Crews began removing containers from the deck over the weekend, and they’re making progress toward removing sections of the bridge that lie across the ship’s bow so it can eventually move, according to the Key Bridge Response Unified Command.
Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon of the United States Army Corps of Engineers spoke to the congressional delegation and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, on recovery efforts during a closed-door briefing at the Capitol. He said afterward there are 9,000 tons (8,165 metric tonnes) of steel and 3,000 tons (2,720 metric tonnes) of concrete at the bottom of the navigation channel leading into the Port of Baltimore.
“We are committed to getting this concrete and steel out of the channel by the end of May,” Spellmon said.
In the meantime, he said, officials are working to provide more access to the port. He said a limited access channel that is 280 feet (85 meters) wide and 35 feet (11 meters) deep will be completed this month, which will restore one-way access for most of the cargo coming into and out of Baltimore. He said captains will undergo training this week on using the channel.
veryGood! (55)
Related
- 2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
- Banksy revealed his first name in a lost interview recorded 20 years ago
- EPA offers $2B to clean up pollution, develop clean energy in poor and minority communities
- Taylor Swift's 'Speak Now' didn't just speak to me – it changed my life, and taught me English
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Blue Bloods Is Officially Ending After 14 Seasons
- Israel recalls ambassador ahead of South African parliamentary vote to shut down Israeli embassy
- Pennsylvania governor appeals decision blocking plan to make power plants pay for greenhouse gases
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- For companies, rehiring a founder can be enticing, but the results are usually worse
Ranking
- See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
- Do you get dry skin in the winter? Try these tips from dermatologists.
- Video chats and maqlooba: How one immigrant family created their own Thanksgiving traditions
- Nevada election-fraud crusader loses lawsuit battle against Washoe County in state court
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Make Surprise Appearance at Vancouver Hockey Game
- Man pleads guilty to firebombing Wisconsin anti-abortion group office in 2022
- Next 2 days likely to be this week’s busiest. Here’s when not to be on the road -- or in the airport
Recommendation
Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
Authorities responding to landslide along Alaska highway
Capitol rioter who berated a judge and insulted a prosecutor is sentenced to 3 months in jail
Federal Reserve minutes: Officials saw inflation slowing but will monitor data to ensure progress
Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
Latest peace talks between Ethiopia’s government and Oromo militants break up without an agreement
Suspect fires at Southern California deputies and is fatally shot as home burns, authorities say
Court upholds pretrial jailing of man charged in shooting over Spanish conquistador statue