‘How can we help?’: Gov. Moore provides update on Key Bridge recovery

On Tuesday, Gov. Wes Moore was joined by former Gov. Bob Ehrlich and state Sen. Johnny Ray Salling to provide an update on recovery efforts to the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge.

The bridge collapsed in the early morning hours of March 26 after a cargo ship crashed into it. Six construction workers were killed in the incident. As of Monday, four of the victims have been recovered: Maynor Suazo Sandoval, Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes and Carlos Daniel Hernandez. Workers Jose Lopez and Miguel Luna are still missing.

At a briefing at the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Headquarters in Dundalk, Moore said workers have removed more than 1,100 tons of steel from the water — more than 5 times the weight of the Statue of Liberty.

“We have not had a single injury on the job — three weeks, 1,110 tons of steel, no injuries. This is an absolutely remarkable achievement,” Moore said.

So far, 40 shipping containers have been removed from the cargo ship. Not all of the containers will need to be removed to re-float the ship, but many of the containers are damaged and will need to be disposed of.

“Just for an understanding, we have over 370 people who are working on this operation, that’s Unified Command,” Moore said. “As we speak, there are over 80 assets that we have in the water, that includes boats, cranes, barges, each one of those assets is here.”

Unified Command refers to the combination of local, state and federal agencies that have been working in lockstep to respond to the bridge collapse. Resources from the Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Coast Guard, Maryland State Police, Maryland Department of Transportation, and local first responders have all been pooled together under the Unified Command.

It’s not just different levels of government that are working together to address the bridge crisis. Moore highlighted the outpouring of support that has come from both sides of the political aisle.

“It is not lost on me that the PORT Act was led by both Democrats and Republicans,” Moore said. “And I’m honored to have one of the sponsors and leaders of that bill here today. Senator Salling, who sponsored the legislation, thank you.”

Maryland Sen. Johnny Ray Salling, who grew up in Sparrows Point and represents District 6, has a longtime personal connection to the Key Bridge and the Port of Baltimore. He worked at Bethlehem Steel for 26 years, and the Key Bridge has existed his entire adult life. Earlier this year, he sponsored a bill to officially rename the port after Helen Delich Bentley.

“I have family that work at the Port of Baltimore, I have other friends that I’ve known for a very long time, and it’s affected them greatly,” Salling said.

In the last weeks of the 2024 Legislative Session, Salling co-sponsored the PORT Act with Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Democrat. The bill established temporary relief for workers and businesses affected by the port’s closure.

“The workers will get not just unemployment, but they will get more pay to help them out for their bills, for their house payments, for groceries,” Salling said.

District 6 Delegates Bob Long and Ric Metzgar were also in attendance. Both are Republicans who helped pass the PORT Act through the House of Delegates.

“Working with a Democratic governor and a Republican senator and Republican leaders, we’re here for one reason: we’re here for you the people,” Salling said. “We pray for you, we are here for you, whatever we can do.”

Echoing the bipartisan show of support, former Gov. Bob Ehrlich, a Republican, spoke alongside his eventual successor Moore, a Democrat. Ehrlich said that although many people are cynical about politics these days, “Team Maryland” is real.

“I’m here not just as a former governor, but as a former member who represented Dundalk, a place I love,” Ehrlich said, adding, “Dundalk Fourth of July Parade, it doesn’t get better.”

Ehrlich gave regards on behalf of Rep. Andy Harris, a Republican who has also pledged to work across party lines with his colleagues in Congress to help clean up and rebuild the bridge.

“When the Key Bridge fell, we received outreach from people all over the state who did not start with mentioning their political affiliation, who did not start talking about what party they represent,” Moore said. “They just simply called up and raised their hand and said, ‘How can we help?’”