Biden surveys collapsed Baltimore bridge, pledges help

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden took an aerial tour on Friday of the collapsed Baltimore bridge that is blocking a key East Coast shipping lane, and he pledged federal help in rebuilding the span, an idea some Republican lawmakers in the US Congress have resisted.

A cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, sending it splashing into the harbor. Work to clear the wreckage and restore traffic through the Mid-Atlantic state’s shipping channel is ongoing.

Aboard his Marine One helicopter, Biden flew over the scene of the disaster, where six people were killed, to get an aerial view. He met local officials for a briefing on the economic impact to the Baltimore port, an important shipping destination for ships to offload automobiles.

Speaking with the fallen bridge behind him as an imposing backdrop, Biden vowed “we will not rest” until the bridge is rebuilt and the area is back to normal. He called on Congress to approve funding for the new bridge as soon as possible.