Bridge collapse: Temporary channel opens for boats working on response

Cranes are en route to Baltimore to help clear the bridge debris from the channel, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said during a press briefing Thursday.

The wreckage needs to be cleared to help advance recovery efforts, after diving operations were suspended Wednesday night due to "security concerns," as well as to reopen the channel and ultimately rebuild the bridge, Moore said.

The U.S. Navy will be providing three cranes, according to a Navy spokesperson. Among them, the "largest crane in the Eastern Seaboard" should be arriving later Thursday evening, Moore said.

"This is an incredibly complex job, and our timeline will be long," Moore said. "We've got work to do, but we're moving."

Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath with the U.S. Coast Guard said assessments are underway to determine how to break down the bridge into the "right-size pieces" so that a crane can lift them.

"Our number one priority is to reopen the Port of Baltimore as fast as we can [and] do it safely," he said.

The Biden administration approved $60 million in emergency relief funds for rebuilding the bridge hours after the receiving the request from the state of Maryland, the White House said Thursday evening.

"The federal emergency funds we're releasing today will help Maryland begin urgent work, to be followed by further resources as recovery and rebuilding efforts progress," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. "President Biden has been clear: the federal government will do everything it takes to help rebuild the bridge and get the Port of Baltimore back open."

Three officers from the Maryland Transportation Authority were celebrated at the Baltimore Orioles' opening day on Thursday for their bravery responding to the bridge collapse.

"Their courage, bravery, and quick thinking saved lives," Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement. "When duty called, they answered. When crisis struck, they stepped into the breach for total strangers. In this time of challenge, they’re a bright light for our nation and our state."

The officers -- Sgt. Paul Pastorek, Cpl. Jeremy Herbert and officer Garry Kirts -- said in a joint statement, "You train for years to respond to tragedy as an officer, but no amount of training could have prepared anyone for the events that took place on the Francis Scott Key Bridge."

"We were proud to carry out our duties as officers of this state to save the lives that we could, and we are grateful for the incredible amount of support from this community that we love so much," they said. "While your messages and outreaches are so appreciated, we respectfully ask for privacy at this time as we mourn the lives of those lost and spend time with those we hold dear."

-ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson

The bodies of two of the six construction workers killed were recovered on Wednesday, found by divers trapped in a pickup truck submerged underwater, police said.

The other four victims have not been recovered.

The workers found on Wednesday were identified by police as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, a native of Mexico who lived in Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, a native of Guatemala who lived in Dundalk, Maryland.

Among the four still missing is construction worker Miguel Luna, 49, a father of five, and Maynor Suazo Sandoval, a father of two.

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