Mar 28, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Maryland requests $60 million for Baltimore bridge collapse recovery

Ivana Saric

the cargo ship Dali sits in the water after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge — The cargo ship Dali after running into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26. Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Maryland officials on Thursday requested $60 million in initial federal emergency relief funding to assist recovery efforts in the aftermath of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

The big picture: Six Baltimore construction workers were presumed dead as a result of the collapse Tuesday morning, which is also expected to have far-reaching economic ramifications.

State of play: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) announced Thursday that the first tranche of relief would fund "our immediate response efforts" and be used "to lay the foundation for a rapid recovery."

The money would also fund emergency needs, including debris removal, traffic operations and demolition, Moore said.
This initial emergency relief request is not connected to bridge reconstruction efforts and further federal funds will be requested at a later time, per the press release.
Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld notified the Federal Highway Administration in a letter Wednesday of officials' intent to seek federal emergency relief funds.

Zoom out: Moore declared a state of emergency in the wake of the bridge collapse.

President Biden said earlier this week that he wants the federal government to foot the full bill of reconstructing the bridge.

Go deeper: What to know about the ripple effects of the Baltimore bridge collapse

Add Axios on Google

Maryland requests $60 million for Baltimore bridge collapse recovery

What to read next