Key Bridge Update – Friday, April 19
In the three and a half weeks since the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, over 13-hundred tons of steel have been removed from the collapse site and 120 containers have been removed from the M/V Dali. Maryland Governor Wes Moore said during Friday’s update that they will remove 140 containers – which will be enough space to build a staging area to access the pieces of bridge and roadway that sits on the vessel’s bow. There are over 80 assets in the water aiding in the salvage effort and the opening of a third limited access channel is still on track for the end of this month. US Coast Guard Rear Admiral Will Watson of Unified Command says that a third large submerged section of the bridge was being removed Friday from the waterway.
RECREATIONAL VESSEL TRANSIT: On Sunday, recreational vessels will have the opportunity for transit through the Key Bridge Response Safety Zone. This plan has been established by the Captain of the Port and will allow traffic one-way at a time during two periods – one outbound and inbound in the morning and one each in the evening.
Additional information from the MD Department of Natural Resources:
On Sunday, April 21, OUTBOUND transits will be permitted in the morning from 6:30 a.m. to 7:15 a.m., and INBOUND transits will be permitted from 7:15 a.m. to 8 a.m.
In the evening, OUTBOUND transits will be permitted from 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. and INBOUND transits will be permitted from 6:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Unified Command or Captain of the Port may cancel these time periods at any time for safety reasons. Mariners must monitor VHF Channel 16 and 81A while transiting the area.
There will be numerous law enforcement and safety vessels on scene to ensure the safe transit of recreational vessels. Once a vessel has entered the safety zone, it needs to continue to make way without stopping. The flow of traffic needs to be continuous. Rules of the road will be strictly enforced. There will be no exceptions to the listed vessel traffic plan, vessels should not take advantage of this opportunity if they can’t abide by the specific stipulations listed.
PORT OF BALTIMORE WORKER SUPPORT PROGRAM: Governor Moore announced the start of the Port of Baltimore Worker Support Program, which will provide temporary cash assistance to eligible workers who have lost income and work hours due to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Employees of Port businesses, independent contractors, solo owner-operators, and the self-employed who work at the Port’s public and private terminals who have worked at the Port at least 25 times or earned at least $5000 from Port jobs between January 1st and March 26th of this year are eligible for the Worker Support Program. It will be administered by the Maryland Department of Labor.
Additional information on the Port of Baltimore Worker Support Program:
The $15 million program, established through executive order and authorized by the Maryland Protecting Opportunities and Regional Trade (PORT) Act, will be administered by the Maryland Department of Labor.
“This new program will provide $430 in weekly relief to Port workers who have lost pay and work hours due to the Key Bridge collapse,” said Gov. Moore. “Our mission is to help as many people as we can during this difficult time – including Port workers who have already applied for unemployment insurance benefits; including Port workers who are receiving unemployment insurance; and including independent contractors and self-employed workers who work at the Port and are losing income because of the collapse.”
“Port of Baltimore workers are critical to our state and our economy. It’s urgent we get them the financial help they need now to support their families as they remain ready and available to get back to work when the Port fully reopens,” said Maryland Secretary of Labor Portia Wu. “The Department of Labor has been working around the clock to launch this effort, and we’ll be working just as hard to get applications processed and money out the door to the workers who need it.”
Information on the Port of Baltimore Worker Support Program, including the application, is available at labor.maryland.gov/portworkersupport
The Maryland Department of Labor will open a temporary service center and provide in-person help to answer questions about eligibility and to fill out application forms starting on Monday, April 22, at noon. The service center is located at 2501 Broening Highway in Baltimore City. Beginning Tuesday, April 23, the site will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays until further notice.
Last week, the Maryland Department of Labor announced the launch of the Worker Retention Program to help Port of Baltimore businesses retain employees as the Port recovers from the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. As of Friday morning, 58 businesses have received approval for grant awards, totaling $4.54 million in assistance, which will protect the jobs of 824 Marylanders.
In addition to the Port of Baltimore Worker Support Program from the Maryland Department of Labor, three additional programs established by the governor’s executive order and authorized by the PORT Act will launch on Monday, April 22, through the Maryland Department of Commerce and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.
More information on additional relief programs offered by the U.S. government, local governments, and financial institutions is available at response.maryland.gov/bridge.
