- Pete Buttigieg visited the site of the collapsed bridge on Tuesday afternoon
- He warned that the bridge’s reconstruction “will not be easy, not fast and not cheap”
- He called it an “unbearable day” for families who lost loved ones after the accident
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg pledged Tuesday that the federal government would rebuild the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, calling it a “cathedral” of American infrastructure.
“This is no ordinary bridge, this is one of the cathedrals of American infrastructure,” he said. “It’s been part of the skyline of this region for longer than many of us have been alive.”
He warned that the “road to normalcy” for the Baltimore community after the tragedy “will not be easy, will not be quick and will not be cheap.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reiterated President Joe Biden’s pledge to rebuild the bridge with federal funds
A cargo ship is trapped under part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship reaches the bridge
Buttigieg spoke at a news conference in Baltimore on Tuesday afternoon, just hours after the bridge collapsed in the early morning hours after being struck by a cargo ship.
He said he was “moved” to see how the state, county and city responded to the tragedy, and praised Maryland Governor Wes Moore for his immediate attention to the issue.
“He was already awake and hard at work when I reached him in the middle of the night,” Buttigieg said.
Buttigieg reminded everyone listening that it was an “excruciating day” for the families of the missing as search and rescue efforts continued.
“They hope and pray and we hope and pray with them,” he said. “We’re all wrapping our arms around the Baltimore community.”
A container ship passes under the Francis Scott Key Bridge
Livestream camera footage shows the moment a large section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland falls into the water after a ship strike, on March 26, 2024.
He promised continued investigations into what caused the cargo ship to hit the bridge’s support, causing the catastrophic collapse early Tuesday morning.
“In many ways, our work is just beginning: rebuilding this bridge and dealing with the consequences in the meantime.”
He warned that the port’s closure would cause ongoing problems with supply chains and transport in the region.
“I have no doubt that we will rebuild together and that Baltimore will come back stronger than ever before,” he said.
Buttigieg urged Americans not to worry about the strength of bridges across the country.
‘This is a unique circumstance. I know of no bridge built to withstand a direct impact from a ship of this size,” he said.