Late Wednesday, Maryland officials reported the recovery of the body of the fifth victim of the Key Scott Bridge collapse, identified as Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez, 49, of Glen Burnie, Maryland.
Salvage efforts continue following the tragic collapse of the bridge on March 26, which claimed the lives of six construction workers and shut down the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest ports in the country.
All six victims were immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Governor Wes Moore expressed his condolences, saying, “We continue to pray for Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez, his family and all those who love him, acknowledging the anguish they have experienced since the Key Bridge collapsed.”
State authorities have announced the plan to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge will take over four years at an estimated cost of $1.7 billion to $1.9 billion.
David Broughton, a spokesman for the Maryland Department of Transportation, stated that the state plans to build a new span by fall of 2028.
The collapse occurred when the Dali container ship lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s supporting columns, causing six members of a roadwork crew to plunge to their deaths.
Salvage teams found one of the missing construction vehicles Wednesday and notified the Maryland State Police. State police investigators, Maryland Transportation Authority Police officers, the FBI, and the state police underwater recovery team and crime scene unit assisted in recovering the body inside a red truck.
In a related development, Chubb, the company that insured the bridge, is preparing to make a payment to the state of Maryland, according to WTW, the broker.
This is expected to be the first of many payouts related to the collapse. The Maryland Transportation Authority confirmed that the state’s treasurer filed a claim on the day of the bridge’s collapse against their $350 million property policy and put on notice their $150 million liability policy first tier carrier.
Salvage and demolition crews are working around the clock to clear wreckage from the collapse site, focusing primarily on freeing the Dali container ship from a massive steel span that came crashing down on the ship’s bow. Once the ship is refloated and guided back into the Port of Baltimore, most maritime traffic will be able to resume through the busy East Coast port. Officials expect to have the ship removed by May 10.
On Thursday morning, crews were preparing for a controlled demolition to break down the largest remaining span and send it tumbling into the water.
A massive hydraulic grabber, the largest in the country, will then lift the resulting sections of steel onto barges. The hydraulic grabber was operating in tandem with the Chesapeake 1000, one of the largest cranes on the Eastern Seaboard.
As salvage and reconstruction efforts continue, the state of Maryland remains committed to rebuilding the vital transportation link while honoring the memory of those who lost their lives in this devastating incident.