Interim cargo route to open near Baltimore bridge

A temporary alternative route for ships is to be opened in the US city of Baltimore following the collapse of a major bridge, officials have announced.

Six people died after the Dali cargo ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge last Tuesday, causing shipments to be suspended in and out of one of the country's busiest ports.

Meanwhile, efforts are under way to remove debris from the water.

A 200-tonne piece of the bridge was removed on Saturday.

US President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit the site on Friday, the White House announced.

"As the president said within hours of the collapse, this administration will be with the people of Baltimore every step of the way," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Monday.

Those involved in the clean-up have been cutting debris from the bridge into smaller pieces that can be removed and taken to a disposal site.

According to a statement from the Key Bridge Response, a taskforce set up in the wake of the incident, port officials are preparing to open the temporary channel to the north-east side of the main channel near the collapsed bridge, for "commercially essential vessels".

This will be part of a "phased approach to opening the main channel".

Capt David O'Connell, who has been helping to coordinate the response, said the alternative route "will mark an important first step along the road to reopening the port of Baltimore".

"By opening this alternate route, we will support the flow of marine traffic," he added.

Currently, a 2,000-yard (1,828-metre) safety zone exists around the wreckage, preventing all vessels and people from entering the area without permission from port officials.

Roughly 80-90% of the bridge wreckage is currently underwater, according to officials.

The Port of Baltimore is a key economic generator for the state of Maryland and a vital artery for imports and exports of US and global trade.

Experts say it could take a month before it reopens, and years to rebuild the bridge. It is thought an investigation into last week's incident may take years.

President Biden told reporters at the White House the day after the incident that he hopes the US government "will pay for the entire cost" of the bridge's reconstruction.

But the proposal was met with almost immediate backlash from conservative Republicans who aim to curb government spending.

"The very thought of having the Federal Government pay for the Baltimore bridge is TOTALLY ABSURD!!" South Carolina Republican Ralph Norman told The Hill.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in an MSNBC interview on Wednesday that she expected insurance payments to cover some of the costs to rebuild the bridge.

The Dali container vessel - which is nearly as long as the Eiffel Tower - remains on the water. Its 22-person crew, all Indian nationals, are reportedly still aboard and unharmed.

Little is known about them, and it remains unclear when they will be on the stranded ship.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore earlier said each stage of the recovery and salvage operation would be difficult, as there were "3,000 to 4,000 tonnes of steel... sitting on that ship".

The recovery has been further complicated by the amount of debris in the dark waters of the Patapsco River. Divers have been unable to see more than a foot or two in front of them.

Eight construction workers were repairing potholes on the Key Bridge when the Dali cargo ship veered into one of its columns, forcing most of the structure into the water.

Two were rescued and the bodies of two others have been recovered. The search for the remaining four - who are presumed dead - has been put on hold due to the challenges posed by the bridge debris.

Isabel Franco, the wife of Jose Mynor Lopez, who is still missing, told CBS News that the 35-year-old had a "good heart" and always "worried" about his family.

Four vehicles are also unaccounted for.

Sonar scanning is ongoing for vehicles, human remains and debris that could potentially dislodge underwater.