Wes Moore

You know, immediately we sprung into action.

Putting the state on a state of emergency, working with state and local and federal partners.

When they told us it was going to take 11 months to clear the federal channel, we got it cleared in 11 weeks.

When they told us it could take years to be able to get permitting done, to be able to fix a bridge, because this bridge is nearly two miles long.

We got permitting done in months.

that we were able to bring closure and comfort to the six families who lost loved ones, construction workers who were working that night.

that when they said it could take five to seven years to get to a 70% design build for the bridge, we got it done in 14 months.

This is the fastest moving large project in America right now.

In Maryland, we are showing that we move fast and we get big things done.

And we've been working with our federal partners, first in the Biden administration, and now working with Secretary Duffy, the Department of Transportation.

I think that Secretary Duffy has been a very good partner on this because

whether it's working on the Key Bridge together or whether it is working on the American Legion Bridge.

Another major bridge that's needed and another bridge that we plan on getting done on our time.

So, you know, I'm very clear that, you know, we will work with anybody to be able to get this done.

If you look at the 100 percent cost share that we have for the Key Bridge, that came from a bipartisan group, Democrats and Republicans in Congress who all voted to get that 100 percent cost share for the Key Bridge.

And so I am I'm thankful because this project is moving fast.

It is moving safely.

And I think Maryland is really putting on a case study about how to respond in crisis and how to get big things done.

I wholeheartedly agree with him.

Because I believe that the promise of America is that everyone in America, you know, I'm not saying that everyone in this country needs to end up at the same spot.