Baltimore's port could be fully functional by end of May, Maryland's governor says

A key Baltimore shipping lane could be fully functional by the end of May, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Sunday.

A massive container ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge sending tons of rubble into the river below in late March. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it is aiming to reopen the channel leading to the Port of Baltimore by the end of May, a timeline Moore confirmed Sunday is “realistic.”

“It is an aggressive timeline but we are going to work around the clock to make sure we hit this timeline,” Moore said Sunday during an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

The comments come nearly two weeks after the mammoth vessel Dali plowed into the bridge, causing much of the nearly 9,000-foot structure to collapse into the Patapsco River and killing six construction workers.

“We are going to do everything in our power to make sure we are 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 begin the process of a rebuild of the bridge,” Moore said.

President Joe Biden has pledged to “move heaven and Earth,” to rebuild the bridge as quickly as possible, and during a speech last week at the site of the bridge collapse he reiterated his promise that the federal government would foot the bill for the massive infrastructure project.

“My administration is committed, absolutely committed," Biden said Friday, "to ensuring that parties responsible for this tragedy pay to repair the damage and be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law will allow, but I also want to be clear: We will support Maryland and Baltimore every step of the way to help you rebuild and maintain all the business and commerce that’s here now.”