Biden says he will visit Baltimore next week after bridge collapse

President Biden told reporters Friday he will visit Baltimore next week following the partial bridge collapse that killed six people and has temporarily closed the city’s port.

Biden said his visit will be alongside Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D). Hours after the collapse early Tuesday morning, Biden said he planned to go to the site “as quickly as” he can.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, on Interstate 695, was hit around 1:30 a.m. by cargo ship Dali, which was headed to Sri Lanka, causing nearly the entire steel structure to fall into the water.

Biden has vowed that the federal government will foot the bill to rebuild the bridge, but that has been met with backlash from conservative spending hawks. That includes those who are already angry that Congress approved a massive 2024 spending package, and liberals, who are arguing the blame for the tragedy lies, at least in part, with the owner of the cargo vessel.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg traveled to Baltimore on Tuesday. He told reporters Wednesday there is no timeline for when the Port of Baltimore can reopen.

When asked about a timeline for the bridge reopening, Buttigieg said the administration needs to get a sense of the condition of its infrastructure, but it will be “some time.”

He also noted it took five years to build the original bridge but added it doesn’t “necessarily mean five years to replace.”

Eight construction workers were fixing potholes on the bridge Tuesday when the container ship lost power and collided with the bridge. Two survived the collapse, two others were found by divers in the water and four are still missing.

Cranes were deployed to the wreckage Friday to clean up the scene and begin the recovery process.