As cranes arrive at Baltimore bridge collapse site, governor describes daunting task of cleaning up

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A crane that can lift 1,000 tons, described as one of the largest on the Eastern Seaboard, appeared near the site of a bridge collapse in Baltimore as crews prepared Friday to begin clearing wreckage that has stymied the search for four workers missing and presumed dead and blocked ships from entering or leaving the city's vital port. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore called the Francis Scott Key Bridge's collapse following a freighter collision an “economic catastrophe" and described the challenges ahead for recovering the workers' bodies and clearing tons of debris to reopen the Port of Baltimore. Equipment on hand will include seven floating cranes, nine barges, eight salvage vessels and five Coast Guard boats, Moore said. Water conditions have prevented divers from entering the river, Moore said. The Coast Guard is focused on removing what's left of the bridge and the ship that struck it in order to clear the port's shipping lanes, Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said. Maryland's Department of Transportation is already focused on building a new bridge and is “considering innovative design, engineering and building methods so that we can quickly deliver this project," Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld said. President Joe Biden's administration has approved $60 million in immediate aid, and Biden has said the federal government will pay the full cost of rebuilding the bridge. The crash caused the bridge to break and fall into the water within seconds. The loss of a road that carried 30,000 vehicles a day and the port disruption will affect not only thousands of dockworkers and commuters, but also U.S. consumers, who are likely to feel the impact of shipping delays.

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https://www.yahoo.com/news/cranes-arriving-start-removing-wreckage-040819466.html