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The US government has given the state of Maryland $60 million (around £47.6m) in federal emergency relief money to rebuild the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
The bridge came tumbling down early on Tuesday (26 March) after the cargo ship Dali lost power and plowed into it soon after leaving the Port of Baltimore.
Four bodies have been recovered and two other missing people are presumed dead.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore had requested the $60 million earlier on Friday, and the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration approved the request within hours.
Typically relief funding takes days to be signed off by officials.
Mr Moore said the funds would support “mobilisation, operations, and debris removal, laying the foundation for a rapid recovery.”
Maryland said it may seek additional emergency funding as damage assessments progress.
The news the cash will be given to the state comes after US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday the government will “move heaven and earth” to quickly rebuild the bridge.
The Transportation Department said in a statement: “These funds serve as a down payment toward initial costs, and additional Emergency Relief program funding will be made available as work continues.”
Initial estimates of the reconstruction costs, which is likely to be paid by the federal government, are at $600 million (around £474.339m), economic software analysis company IMPLAN said.
The Transportation Department has vowed to act swiftly after getting a request for the so-called “quick release funding” but has said it will need legislation from Congress to fund building a replacement bridge.
Bound for Sri Lanka, the Singapore-flagged container ship Dali reported losing power and the ability to maneuver before plowing into a support pylon of the bridge.
The impact brought most of the bridge crashing into the mouth of the Patapsco River almost immediately, blocking shipping lanes and forcing the indefinite closure of the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.
Additional reporting by Reuters.
