On Friday, state officials announced the winding down of temporary worker and business assistance programs that were put in place following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. These programs include the Maryland Department of Labor’s worker support program, the Maryland Department of Commerce’s business assistance program, and the Department of Housing and Community Development’s small-business grant program, with applications closing on June 28. Additionally, the Housing and Community Development’s small-business loan program will cease accepting applications on Aug. 15.
The Labor Department’s worker-retention program for businesses stopped accepting applications in mid-May. These programs were established as part of the PORT Act, passed shortly after the bridge collapse on March 26, when the container ship Dali crashed into the Key Bridge, causing the center span to collapse into the Patapsco River.
The collision resulted in the death of six road workers and disrupted shipping into the Port of Baltimore, leaving many port workers temporarily unemployed. Governor Wes Moore’s office reported that these programs had provided $37.4 million in assistance, with $22 million supporting businesses in the Baltimore metropolitan region. The assistance programs have benefited 2,800 workers directly, protecting over 3,000 jobs from layoffs.
Governor Moore credited the success of the programs to bipartisan cooperation, stating that they were able to provide financial relief quickly and prevent mass layoffs and financial hardship for many workers and businesses. With the removal of the last of the bridge debris from
