Washington. Apr. 1st. - Maryland Governor Wes Moore sounded the alarm about the implications of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, noting that the tragedy will have a “massive impact” on the United States economy.
“It's not just a massive impact on Maryland; This has a huge impact on the national economy. “We are talking about… one of the busiest ports in the entire country,” Moore warned during an interview with the Fox network.
It is “a port that handles more cars, more heavy trucks and more agricultural equipment than any other port within this country,” he said on “Fox News Sunday.”
He explained that what happened is “impacting the Kentucky farmer; It is affecting the car dealership in Ohio; “It is impacting the restaurant in Louisiana and Tennessee.”
“And so it really becomes a national imperative that we get the Port of Baltimore up and running again,” he emphasized.
In the early hours of March 26, the Singapore-flagged cargo ship Dali, which was heading to Sri Lanka, collided with one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key, about 2.5 kilometers long, causing the structure to collapse. of iron on the Patapsco River.
Shortly before the accident - in which six Hispanic workers lost their lives - the container ship issued distress signals because it ran out of power.
The warning and immediate closure of the crossing on the bridge prevented a major disaster.
The port of Baltimore has been closed since Tuesday. According to Axios data, more than 15,000 direct jobs and more than 139,000 indirect jobs are generated there, generating $3.3 billion in salaries.
Crews began removing debris from the bridge on Saturday, marking the beginning of what the governor called a “remarkably complex process.”
President Joe Biden promised that the reconstruction of the bridge would be done with federal funds, although this decision must go through Congress, where, perhaps, there will be discussions about it.
For now, the Department of Transportation allocated $60 million in emergency funds last week, and this Sunday Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that additional funds will be allocated.
Moore, for his part, made it clear that he supports “what we are seeing… it is not because someone is trying to do Maryland a favor. “It’s because the national economy depends on the port of Baltimore.”
It is estimated that, in 2023, some 847,158 automobiles and light vehicles were handled at that port, the largest amount of cargo of this automotive medium recorded for the thirteenth consecutive year when comparing the numbers with all US ports.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge - named after the author of the national anthem - was inaugurated on March 23, 1977. The collision occurred three days after his 47th birthday. (Text and photo: PL)
