The collapse is changing the lives of many people in the surrounding area. Residents are coping with the loss of six lives as well as the closure of a crucial means of transportation. People are coming together to support first responders and the families of the construction workers who died in the collapse. And with the Port of Baltimore mostly closed, businesses are feeling the pressure and are uncertain what will happen in the next few weeks.
Each day this week, divers went to work assessing damage to the stranded ship. Their goal is to figure out exactly where it is grounded in the rubble so that officials can figure out how to move it out of the port, according to the Key Bridge response team.
Anchor Bay East Marina and Hard Yacht Cafe, has been in business since 1987 but new owner and operator, Alex Del Sordo, had only been at the job for two weeks when the bridge collapsed. At 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning he got the phone call about the bridge.
“It was a really devastating moment,” he said.
Since then his business has been constantly running its fuel dock to support first responders, and workers have provided meals to over 400 of those workers. He is trying to figure out how his business will fare with the reduced traffic.
“We’re asking ourselves, ‘How are we going to weather the storm here? And what are we going to do?’” he said.
Anchor Bay East Marina is home to many boaters and a popular spot for pleasure boaters. But with the Port of Baltimore closed, businesses are losing customers.
Owner and Operator of boat cleaning company Land and Sea Detailing, Tom Uzupus, said since the bridge collapsed some clients have declined service and they have lost about a half-dozen jobs. With temporary channels open, he is hopeful that soon business will pick back up.
“I think in the next couple of weeks a lot’s going to happen,” he said.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it hopes to open a limited-access channel to the Port of Baltimore by the end of April. This channel would allow one-way traffic in and out of the port, allowing cargo including automobiles and farm equipment to come and go.
Gov. Wes Moore has been holding afternoon press conferences to give updates about the state of the bridge and the debris removal. On Friday, he signed an executive order directing $60 million to provide immediate temporary economic relief to help businesses and workers affected by the collapse.
When community members heard the news, many jumped into action to provide support.
John McAvoy, the owner of Dock of the Bay, was awake around 2:15 a.m. with his 4-month old when he heard the news of the collapse. He said that, moments later, he decided to take action.
“At like around 3 a.m., in my head I was like, ‘You gotta do something,’” he said.
He left his home in Lutherville and, while heading to the restaurant, he posted on social media seeking guidance on where to drop off the food he planned to prepare. Community members reached out to help.
McAvoy then made boneless chicken bites, crab balls, pretzel bites and french fries, then taking it to the site just before daylight.
“By 5 a.m. we were there and showing them that the community had their back and we were going to do our part to support them,” he said.
Most Popular
Comments / 0