March 27, 2024 8:17 a.m. ET
Transportation Department Buttigieg says responsibility for bridge crash is under investigation
From CNN's Antoinette Radford
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (center) speaks at a news conference near the site where a container ship collided with a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26.
Matt Rourke/Associated Press
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said if private companies were to blame for the Francis Scott Key Bridge cargo ship crash, they too would be held accountable.
“Let's be clear, if private entities are responsible and held accountable for this, they will be held accountable,” he told CNN. “But we need to get to work right now. We can't wait for that to unfold in order to get started.” .
Buttigieg told CNN on Wednesday that he predicted a “long road to recovery” for the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the Port of Baltimore, and that restoring the bridge and reopening the port would be a priority for the Biden administration.
Asked if he had any idea when the Patapsco River waterway would reopen, Buttigieg said he didn't have an estimated timetable, but was working with authorities, including the U.S. Coast Guard, to get it open as soon as possible. He noted that the status of the remaining piers will also affect that schedule.
“Not only do we need to get those ships in, but there are some ships that are already there and can't get out. So opening that channel is very important,” he said.
Buttigieg also warned of short-term supply chain disruptions. “The impact of this incident will be felt throughout the region and indeed throughout the supply chain. We are talking about the largest vehicle-handling port in the country, which is currently inactive until that waterway opens; I'm talking about a bridge that took five years to build.”
