Joe Biden Vows To Rebuild Collapsed Baltimore Bridge ‘Rapidly’

Posted by: Eninu William in World news April 6, 2024

US President Joe Biden HAS vowed to “move heaven and earth” to help Baltimore recover from a deadly bridge collapse that blocked the city’s port. He added the government will “help you rebuild and maintain all the business and commerce that’s here now”.

Along with killing six workers, the collapse trapped a massive ship in one of the busiest ports on the East Coast. This port is used by companies such as Amazon.

So far, $60m has been earmarked for the clean-up effort. The final cost of clearing the waterway and rebuilding the bridge is likely to be far higher.

Some lawmakers estimate it could rise to hundreds of millions of dollars. One, Maryland Democrat David Trone, told CBS, that he believes the cost could be as high as $1bn.

On Friday, Mr Biden re-iterated a previous commitment to help Baltimore fund the recovery process and rebuilding effort.

“I fully intend… that the federal government [will] cover the cost of building this entire bridge. All of it,”. He then called on Congress to authorize funding “as soon as possible”.

A few hours after the president’s remarks, officials in Baltimore announced that dive teams had recovered the body of a third construction worker at the site of the bridge collapse.

The body of Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval was found at around 10:30 local time on Friday. The bodies of two other victims – Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, were recovered last week.

The remaining three victims have not yet been found, but Colonel Roland Butler Jr, the superintendent of Maryland Department of State Police, said he was “fully committed to finding closure for each of these families.”

During his visit, Mr Joe Biden, who has family ties to the city, took an aerial tour of the collapsed area. This was alongside Maryland Governor Wes Moore and other senior officials involved in the salvage effort, before meeting with emergency personnel.

He added that the reconstruction effort will be done with “union labour and American steel.” The port is a vital economic hub that is linked to more than 15,000 jobs.

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