Biden to visit Baltimore after deadly bridge collapse

President Joe Biden on Friday is traveling to Baltimore to visit the site of the deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, which left six presumed dead and is expected to have a major impact on the port's economy.

Biden will take an aerial tour of the wreckage and "deliver remarks reaffirming his commitment to the people of Baltimore," the White House said. He will also receive an operational update on response efforts, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a Thursday briefing.

Leaders from the Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers will share the status of their efforts to remove the wreckage and reopen the port of Baltimore. The president will also meet with bridge collapse victims' loved ones, theWhite House said.

Biden will appear alongside Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and other Maryland and Baltimore officials, Jean-Pierre said.

“As the president said within hours of the collapse, this administration will be with the people of Baltimore every step of the way,” she said, reiterating a statement she gave at a press briefing Monday.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early on the morning of March 26 when a cargo ship collided with a support pillar. The remains of two people who were killed have been recovered, and four others are presumed dead.

Crews working to remove the wreckage have opened two temporary channels to allow limited traffic to pass by the bridge. They are working to open a third channel for larger ships as well.

Biden addressed the disaster during remarks in the hours following the collapse, saying that the White House would send “all the federal resources they need” and that they would rebuild the port. He also said that he intended for