In a shocking incident that made national headlines, a massive freight ship slammed into the iconic Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday morning, sending vehicles plunging into the icy Patapsco River below. 

The catastrophic collision brought traffic to a standstill across one of the nation’s busiest transportation arteries.

With rescue crews still searching for potential victims in the rubble, President Joe Biden swiftly pledged the full support and resources of the federal government to rebuild the vital bridge linking Baltimore to surrounding states.

________________________________________________________________________

• Massive freight ship collides with Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, sending vehicles into the river.

• President Biden pledges that the federal government will fully fund the reconstruction of the vital transportation link.

• The bridge carried over 31,000 vehicles per day; the collapse disrupted a major East Coast supply chain artery.

________________________________________________________________________

Biden Vows Federal Funds for Baltimore Bridge Rebuild

“It’s my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge, and I expect the Congress to support my effort,” Biden stated in an address from the White House.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, which stretched 1.6 miles across Baltimore Harbor, was a crucial highway link carrying over 31,000 vehicles per day between New York and Washington, D.C. 

Its sudden collapse has dealt a devastating blow to the regional transportation network and economy.

While the circumstances surrounding the freight ship collision are still under investigation, Biden made clear that the immediate priority is search and rescue followed by a full rebuild—regardless of future liability determinations.

“We’re not going to wait for that to happen. We’re going to pay for it to get the bridge rebuilt and opened,” the President affirmed when asked about the potential culpability of the ship’s operators.

Large infrastructure projects like this typically involve a mix of state and federal funding sources. 

However, Biden is taking the unprecedented step of pledging to cover 100% of reconstruction costs at the federal level, signaling just how critical resuming traffic flows across the Baltimore Harbor is to the nation’s supply chains.

To the frantic residents still awaiting word on loved ones missing since the catastrophe, Biden offered reassurance: “I know every minute in that circumstance feels like a lifetime. The search and rescue operation is our top priority.”

With the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s iconic twin spans now crumpled into twisted metal beneath the waters of Baltimore’s working harbor, the President vowed to put the federal government’s full might behind an all-hands-on-deck effort to rebuild one of America’s vital transportation lifelines as quickly as possible.