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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 5 February 2025
Designs unveiled for replacement of Baltimore bridge almost a

year after deadly collapse

By LEA SKENE market. We bring sugars
Associated Press and spices to Louisiana.
SPARROWS POINT, Md. (AP) We haul farm equipment
— Almost a year after the from the East Coast deep
deadly collapse of Balti- into the heartland,” Moore
more’s Francis Scott Key said. “Commerce and
Bridge, Maryland officials trade are the bedrock of
on Tuesday unveiled their our state, and we will con-
designs for its replacement, tinue to make investments
which will be taller and bet- that honor our tradition.”
ter protected against ship In August, the state award-
strikes. ed a $73 million contract
Construction of the state’s for the first phase of the
first cable-stayed bridge rebuild to Kiewit Infrastruc-
could be completed in ture, a major construction
2028 and cost upwards of and engineering firm.
$1.7 billion. Officials said the project
With its graceful outline would advance in two
and delicate design, of- phases, with the first focus-
ficials said the new bridge This image provided by Office of the Governor of Maryland shows renderings of replacement of ing on the design work and
Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge that was presented during a news conference Tuesday, Feb.
will modernize Baltimore’s 4, 2025 in Sparrows Point, Md. other necessary steps be-
skyline, becoming a sym- Associated Press fore construction begins.
bol of resilience, progress Moore promised to “em-
and economic growth. The opened to traffic in 1977. port was closed for months news conference at Trade- ploy many Marylanders”
design features two towers It connected various port- after the collapse, and in- point Atlantic, a shipping throughout the process.
with cables radiating down oriented industrial commu- creased traffic congestion hub in the Port of Baltimore Maryland Transportation
to the deck. nities around Baltimore and remains a problem for driv- that played a major role in Secretary Paul Wiedefeld
“This is a great day for the allowed drivers to easily by- ers across the region. cleanup and recovery ef- said the design will include
state of Maryland,” Gov. pass downtown. Officials quickly promised forts following the collapse. the latest in pier protection
Wes Moore said at a news The bridge was destroyed to rebuild the bridge a The facility is revitalizing the technology, which has be-
conference late Tuesday when a massive con- longstanding Baltimore site of a former Bethlehem come increasingly impor-
morning. “But it’s not lost tainer ship lost power and landmark and vital piece Steel plant just northeast of tant as ships keep getting
on me that today’s triumph slammed into one of its of transportation infrastruc- Baltimore as maritime ship- bigger and carrying more
was born out of tragedy.” supporting columns. The ture. Demolition of the re- ping continues to fuel the cargo. The bridge will also
The original Key Bridge, March 26 collapse killed six maining pieces will take regional economy. be taller to provide more
a 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) construction workers who place this spring, with con- “Maryland is a bridge be- clearance. He said the
steel span at the mouth were filling potholes when struction of its replacement tween America and the plans were developed with
of Baltimore’s harbor, took the structure crumbled be- to follow, officials said Tues- rest of the world. We get the project’s cost and con-
five years to construct and neath them. Baltimore’s day. They held Tuesday’s cars from Michigan out to struction timeline in mind.q

First military flight to send migrants to Guantanamo Bay is set to

depart, official says

By TARA COPP and LOLITA port migrants from the Unit- pected to be a surge in the International USA decried seven deportation flights,
C. BALDOR ed States to Guantanamo number of migrants held the use of Guantanamo to to Ecuador, Guam, Hondu-
Associated Press Bay was set to depart Tues- at the Navy base in Cuba, house the migrants. ras and Peru. In addition,
WASHINGTON (AP) — The day, a U.S. official said. It is which for decades was pri- “Sending immigrants to Colombian officials flew to
first U.S. military flight to de- the first step in what is ex- marily used to detain for- Guantanamo is a pro- the U.S. and took two flights
eigners associated with the foundly cruel, costly move. of migrants back to their
Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. It will cut people off from country.
President Donald Trump lawyers, family and support There are approximately
has eyed the facility as a systems, throwing them into 300 service members sup-
holding center and said it a black hole so the U.S. porting the holding opera-
has the capacity to hold as government can continue tions at Guantanamo Bay,
many as 30,000. to violate their human rights and the numbers will fluctu-
Defense Secretary Pete out of sight. Shut Gitmo ate based on the require-
Hegseth, who was assigned down now and forever!” ments of the Department
to Guantanamo Bay when Fischer said in a statement. of Homeland Security,
he was on active duty, has In addition, the U.S. flew which is the lead federal
called it a “perfect place” Indian migrants back to In- agency.
to house migrants. Addi- dia on Monday, and that There are more than
tional U.S. troops have ar- flight was still in progress 725,000 immigrants from
rived at the facility in the as of midday Tuesday, the India living in the U.S. with-
past few days to help pre- U.S. official said. The official out authorization, the third
pare it. spoke on the condition of most of any country after
In this April 17, 2019, photo, reviewed by U.S. military officials, Amy Fischer, Director of anonymity to provide de- Mexico and El Salvador,
the control tower is seen through the razor wire inside the Camp the Refugee and Migrant tails not yet made public. according to the Pew Re-
VI detention facility in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. Rights Program at Amnesty There had previously been search Center.q
Associated Press