Earlier this week, senior officials from the White House, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Transportation and Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works met with Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Maryland Secretary of Transportation Paul Wiedefeld to discuss progress and continued collaboration in response to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
The White House underscored President Biden's commitment to stand with Baltimore every step of the way in this recovery. White House officials thanked participants for the collaboration and partnership between teams at the federal and state level. The meeting focused on updates on removing wreckage from the channel, supporting impacted workers and the families of the victims, reopening the port to vessel traffic, and rebuilding the bridge.
The group discussed progress towards reopening a limited access channel, including Tuesday's major milestone of removing a significant section of the bridge from the water. The limited access channel is expected to be complete by the end of April. Participants emphasized the need for a smooth return of cargo traffic to the port as the channel is reopened and went over the standard operating procedures for reopening maritime traffic after incidents. The group also discussed efforts to support impacted workers, including the launch of the Port of Baltimore Worker Retention Program and the PORT Act, and the group's shared support for the families of workers who lost their lives in the bridge collapse. Participants also highlighted efforts at the state and federal level to ensure a rapid rebuild of the bridge.
The White House will continue to work in lockstep with state and federal partners to minimize the impacts of the devastating collapse and to support affected communities.
