Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says timeline to fully reopen channel, Port of Baltimore 'realistic'
BALTIMORE - Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is doubling down on the accelerated timeline to open a major channel and get the Port of Baltimore back open for full business.
Unified Command crews continue to clear the wreckage from the bridge that collapsed on March 26 after it was struck by a cargo ship in the Patapsco River.
Eight construction workers who were repairing the road were knocked into the river. Two were rescued, three have been recovered and three remain missing.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore was on CBS Face the Nation on Sunday discussing the efforts to get the bridge back up and the Port of Baltimore fully open for business.
Moore didn't have a price tag for how much it would cost to rebuild the Key Bridge.
However, he said crews will be working 24/7 to get the job done.
The body of Maynor Yasir Suazo Sandoval was recovered from the water on Friday hours before President Biden visited Baltimore to survey to damage.
There are still three construction workers missing and presumed to be dead.
A vigil was held in their honor on Saturday.
"The state is still heartbroken," Moore said. "We lost six Marylanders."
The Army Corps of Engineers also dredged two shallow emergency channels for commercial and essential vessels to pass through.
A tentative timeline for reopening the port was announced.
By the end of April, the Army Corps of Engineers hopes to have a 280-feet wide and 35-feet deep limited access channel open and to have the full federal channel reopened by the end of May.
"We heard when the president visited that reiteration of a pretty aggressive timeline though to get things up and running perhaps even by the end of May is that realistic?" asked Margaret Brennan, from Face the Nation.
"It's realistic and I think it's something that's going to take a 24/7 operation," Moore said. "To have full functioning and that means not just being able to continue the maritime operations that we have and also it's understanding how important that port is not just to Baltimore but to the entire country."
Moore and Senator Chris Van Hollen also spoke about rebuilding the bridge.
They told Face the Nation an NTSB investigation will determine where the owner of the Dali will be held liable for the crash.
Until then, 90 percent of the cost to rebuild will come from federal money.
"We are going to introduce legislation for the other 10% and make it clear that any monies that are recovered through lawsuits and liability come back to the US federal taxpayer," Senator Van Hollen said.
As plans to rebuild the Key Bridge continue, Moore is set to travel to Washington D.C. this week to speak with lawmakers to discuss funding for the project.