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One day after the bridge disaster in Baltimore, the search for the missing six construction workers has been called off. Authorities believe they died in the cold waters of the Patapsco River. Now the question arises, what happens next at the scene of the accident?
The clearance work will take months, perhaps even years. Traffic in the important US port is coming to a standstill for the time being, and impacts on global supply chains are expected - Baltimore is particularly important for the import and export of cars and small trucks.
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that the government in Washington would take care of the lengthy reconstruction.
Pete Buttigieg, US Secretary of Transportation
»The road to normality will not be easy, it will not be quick, it will not be cheap, but we will rebuild it together. We are just beginning our work to rebuild this bridge while managing the impacts, reopening the port and managing the effects on supply chains.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore also sees basic infrastructure projects coming to Baltimore.
Wes Moore, Governor of Maryland
“We also think this is a good time to think about our infrastructure as a whole, our maritime infrastructure, our rail infrastructure, all our infrastructure, and making sure that Maryland is a leader in to have real core infrastructures that are both secure and efficient.«
There are chaotic times ahead for Baltimore - the bridge was an important traffic artery with an average of 31,000 cars traveling over it every day. However, experts consider a major supply crisis to be unlikely because there are several alternative ports on the US East Coast.