‘One phone call away’: Va. leaders prepared to send resources to Maryland following Baltimore Key Bridge tragedy

BALTIMORE (WRIC) — Virginian resources are on standby as six people, still unaccounted for, are now presumed dead after what officials are calling the “catastrophic collapse” of a Baltimore bridge.

A cargo ship leaving the Port of Baltimore around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning hit a support of the city’s Francis Scott Key Bridge — forcing it to snap in multiple places, plummeting into the water, taking multiple objects and people down with it.

As of early Tuesday evening, two people have been rescued. The remaining missing 6 are now presumed dead after a long day of search and rescue efforts.

Just a couple hours away in Central Virginia, leaders have announced they’re prepared to help. Virginia leaders emphasized that partnership – on all fronts – is going to be crucial in the aftermath of this incident.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore shared a heartfelt message to the emotional community Tuesday morning.

“All of our hearts are broken,” Moore started. “We feel your lost were thinking of you and we will always be thinking of you.”

Emotions transcended Maryland state lines, as this tragedy has garnered national attention. Given Virginia’s close proximity, it prompted leaders like Gov. Glenn Youngkin to voice support for the neighboring state in the form of prayers and resources.

The two governors have reportedly been in close correspondence all morning.

“I told him that anything he needed, anything … we would make available,” Youngkin said in an interview following an unrelated signing event Tuesday afternoon.

The Virginia and Maryland Departments of Transportation are working in tandem to establish uniform signage across waterways. Ocean carriers are being diverted to the Port of Virginia.

“We have our first ocean carrier that was supposed to be heading to Baltimore making a stop in Virginia and unloading all of their Baltimore cargo here,” Youngkin said. “We’ve got capacity to do it and I think that’s really important.”

Youngkin recognized the heightened alarm and skepticism surrounding bridge stability both locally and statewide. He provided a status update on those systems in Virginia.

“We do have span bridges over rivers and we inspect those every year,” Youngkin said. “They all have passed. In fact, I personally checked on that today.”

Youngkin reiterated that Virginia’s Hampton Roads shipping infrastructure is accessed over a series of tunnels.

“So this kind of span bridge is not something that has to be navigated heading into our Hampton Roads Port infrastructure from the ocean,” Youngkin said.

Meanwhile, Virginia leaders said they’re keeping resources on standby for teams in Baltimore.

“Everybody is going to have a role in terms of how we think about the rebuild,” Youngkin said.

Youngkin added that, regardless of the form of help, aid from Virginia is “just one phone call away.” As of Tuesday evening, resources haven’t been dispatched, but they are readily available.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) provided the following statement:

Our thoughts are with the families and colleagues of those impacted by this event.

VDOT’s Commissioner has reached out to the Maryland State Highway Administration. We are on standby to assist should they request our assistance. 

Additionally, VDOT’s Northern Virginia Traffic Operations Center is supporting with messaging on changeable message signs and within our 511 system advising motorists of the I-695 closure and related delays.  

The Virginia Department of Transportation