Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said on Sunday that President Biden’s timeline is “realistic” of having the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore fully functioning by the end of May.
He added, however, in an interview on CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” that it would require a 24/7 operation and work around the clock.
“It’s realistic,” Moore said, when asked about Biden’s recent commitment to the speedy end-of-May timeline. “And I think that it’s going to take some time. It’s going to be a 24/7 operation… to have full functioning. And that means being able to not just continue the maritime operations that we have.”
Moore pledged to “do everything in our power” to support workers affected by the bridge’s collapse and to meet the “aggressive timeline.”
“We are going to do everything in our power to make sure we’re bringing closure and comfort to these families, to be able to reopen this channel, to be able to support our workers and support families who have been impacted by it, and also begin the process of the rebuild of the bridge,” he said.
“It is an aggressive timeline, but we are going to work around the clock to make sure that we hit this timeline.”
Biden on Friday visited the damage from the collapse of the bridge and pledged to “move heaven and Earth” to rebuild the structure.
“I’m here to say, your nation has your back. And I mean it. Your nation has your back,” Biden said, speaking with the wreckage of the collapsed bridge in the backdrop. “The damage is devastating, and our hearts are still breaking.”
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, on Interstate 695, collapsed into the water after it was hit last Tuesday by the cargo ship Dali, which was headed to Sri Lanka. Six people died in the collapse.
The president said his administration’s priority was to reopen the Baltimore Port, which is typically among the most active in the country and is key to commerce across the East Coast. He said officials expect the full channel to be reopened by the end of May.
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