Baltimore Key Bridge collapse: Temporary channel opens for boats working on bridge response

The state of Maryland has requested $60 million in emergency relief funds from the federal government "for our immediate response efforts and to lay the foundation for a rapid recovery," Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement.

The governor’s office said the funds are "needed for the state to proceed as quickly and safely as possible with debris removal, demolition, traffic operations and other emergency needs," and that this "request is supplemental to funding provided by other federal partners to provide complementary work for the emergency response."

This request is not related to bridge reconstruction efforts. The governor’s office said the state "is working to develop the preliminary scope and engineering estimate of future financial needs."

President Joe Biden announced earlier this week that the federal government will pay for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

-ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told reporters that the state will do a "true full evaluation" of all fracture-critical bridges in Maryland in the wake of the deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

During a media availability on MLB opening day announcing the new ownership of the Baltimore Orioles, Moore asked for local leaders to help rebuild.

"I'm calling on everybody to do their part. In this game, nobody gets to sit on the sidelines. We need every single Baltimorean and we need every single Marylander to join us in this work to rebuild this bridge and rebuild the city," Moore said. "And that work is happening as we speak. The best minds in the world are coming together to collect the information that we need to move forward with speed and safety."

Once the bridge is rebuilt, Moore said, "We're going to have another reopening day -- and that will be the reopening of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. And you can bet on that."

-ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson

The White House's Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force held a meeting Wednesday and discussed how federal efforts can help the industries and workers impacted by the bridge collapse, according to the White House.

"Members of the Task Force shared real-time analysis of sectors with significant activity through the Port of Baltimore, including automobiles, farm machinery, and agricultural products," a White House statement said. “Members of the Task Force also provided an assessment of the impact on workers and the community."

"The Task Force will coordinate Federal outreach and efforts to assist impacted industries and will continue to monitor shipping activity at alternative ports as shipments are diverted," the readout said.

The task force was created in 2021 to respond to pandemic-era supply chain disruptions.

-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge could cost as much as $4 billion, which would make the incident a record shipping insurance loss, according to a Morningstar analysis citied in a new Department of Homeland Security assessment obtained by ABC News.

There are currently seven vessels at anchor awaiting to enter the Port of Baltimore, the document said. Two have been directed to other ports.

Dive operations on Thursday will confirm the ship’s stability and structural integrity so crews can begin to offload the 13 damaged containers, the document said.

The bulk of the hazardous material is located on the stern. Of the ship's 4,700 containers, 56 hold dangerous goods, but there is no threat to the public, the assessment said.

Two containers went overboard during the collision, but they did not contain hazardous materials, the document said.

-ABC News’ Josh Margolin and Aaron Katersky