Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Wednesday that the Biden administration will hold any private party responsible for the crash and collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge accountable.
The bridge in Baltimore fell early Tuesday when a 948-foot container ship called the Dali hit a support column, resulting in what officials called a “catastrophic collapse.” Buttigieg was asked if the U.S. government would hold anyone aboard the ship accountable if they were responsible for the crash, as President Joe Biden stated Tuesday that the government would pay for the bridge’s reconstruction.
“Yeah, there’s no question that if the investigation determines that any private party or parties are responsible, they will be held accountable,” Buttigieg said on Fox News’s America’s Newsroom. “But that can’t be something that we’re just waiting around for. We’ve got to make sure we work now today to get this bridge back up and to get this port back open. That bridge took five years to build. We don’t yet have an estimate on how long it will take to rebuild.”
The secretary went on to note how Biden has stressed that the bridge be rebuilt as soon as possible, which would entail removing any administrative barriers slowing down the rebuilding process. He also explained that it is important for funding not to be an obstacle in the reconstruction.
Buttigieg also stressed the need to prepare for any supply chain problems that could occur over this recent collapse, specifically regarding supplies that arrive through the nearby shipping port. Baltimore is the biggest handling port in the United States for vehicles, while also serving as a major port for farming equipment.
The secretary warned that while there will be a major focus on clearing the channel to reopen the shipping port, doing so will not happen overnight, and the U.S. will have to “deal with the implications.”
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Buttigieg’s prediction about supply chain troubles echoes other warnings from other officials, with Vespucci Maritime CEO Lars Jensen calling the collapse a “major disaster” for the U.S. importers and exporters along the East Coast. Besides vehicles and farming equipment, other items shipped en masse at Baltimore’s port include coffee, coal, and sugar.
In the wake of the bridge collapse, the Virginia Port Authority has offered its port in Norfolk as an alternative for ships. Officials said the port has experience with handling import and export surges, and it is standing ready to help Baltimore.
