'We have a very long road ahead of us': Maryland governor on rebuilding of Baltimore Bridge

Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed/ AFP

Three days after the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland collapsed, Governor Wes Moore emphasised that the rebuilding of the bridge would not take days or weeks, adding that "we have a very long road ahead of us." The Singapore-flagged vessel collided with one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland, leading to its collapse on Tuesday. Maryland Governor Wes Moore assured that they would take care of people, and emphasised the need to rebuild the bridge.

"One of the things we were taught is, that you always take care of your people. We are going to make sure that in this moment we take care of our people, and fourth, we need to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge...I want to be clear. This work will not take hours. This work will not take days. This work will not just take weeks. We have a very long road ahead of us. We understand that, and we're preparing," he said while addressing a Maryland Transportation Authority briefing.

Governor Moore further highlighted that this is about the nation's economy and not just about Maryland. He added that the port handles more cars and more farm equipment than any other port in America. "...I have said it before, I will say it again and I will keep on saying it. This is not just about Maryland. This is about the nation's economy. The port handles more cars and farm equipment than any other port in America and at least 8,000 workers on the docks have jobs that have been directly affected by this collapse," he said.

He further stated that the US economy depends on the port of Baltimore and the port of Baltimore depends on vessel traffic. The collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, following a collision with a container ship early on March 26, has brought trade through the Maryland port to a grinding halt, causing significant disruptions to the flow of commodities, particularly coal and cobalt.

Furthermore, the closure is expected to impede US coal exports to key destinations such as India, China, Canada, and the Netherlands, with Baltimore handling a significant portion of these shipments. Moreover, Baltimore's ports were the third-largest destination for US imports of unwrought primary aluminium in 2023, further exacerbating the impact on the metals trade. Furthermore, the closure is likely to necessitate the shifting of container traffic to other area ports, including those in New York, New Jersey, and Norfolk, Virginia, adding complexities to shipping operations.

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