WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is expected to get a firsthand look at efforts to clear away the hulking remains of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Cranes, ships and diving crews are working to reopen one of the nation’s main shipping lanes and prepare for eventually erecting a new bridge.
Biden's planned visit Friday to the site of a tragedy that killed six bridge workers lays bare the cleanup's high political stakes.
The government has provided quick-release funds to start recovery. But calls for more funding could trigger congressional fights. It may also mean ideological clashes surrounding the Biden administration's arguments that increased public works spending around the country has benefited the economy.
Engineers working to clear the wreckage of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore say they expect to be able to restore navigation in and out of the port by the end of this month.
The bridge collapsed on March 26 after being struck by a cargo ship.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced a tentative timeline Thursday. It said it expects to open a limited access channel to the Port of Baltimore within the next four weeks.
The channel would support one-way traffic in and out of the port for barge container service and some vessels that move automobiles and farm equipment to and from the port.