New close-up view of Key Bridge collapse site shows challenges for responders working to find remaining victims

BALTIMORE - Unified Command granted WJZ a closer view on Tuesday of the heart of the Key Bridge damage in the Patapsco River.

Pieces of the Key Bridge remain lodged atop the massive cargo ship, the Dali. 

Containers are tilted, some precariously, and in the middle of it all, our cameras captured the brave workers. 

They are part of an around-the-clock operation to get the mess cleaned up and reopen the Port of Baltimore by the end of May.

"This is what we sign up for, and this is what we came to do,"  U.S. Coast Guard Commander Roberto Conception told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. 

Conception said the priority is finding the bodies of three construction workers who remain in the Patapsco River. 

"We've established a general area of where we believe the victims are right now. The complex operation requires a lot of surveying," Conception said. "Because there's a lot of debris underneath the waterline, we want to make sure the first responders are safe as well."

From the water, you can see welders cutting away pieces of the bridge. Some weigh more than 100 tons.

You can also see the power of the impact—how it ripped apart the concrete and rebar that held the bridge together for 47 years. 

"Right now, we're still evaluating how many containers we need to take off the ship," Conception said. 

Congress, lawmakers weigh funding efforts

In Washington, lawmakers vowed the federal government would pay for it all. 

Congress must still authorize 10% of the Key Bridge replacement costs.

"This will be 100% federal funds in regards to the construction and replacement of the Francis Scott Key Bridge," Senator Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) told reporters Tuesday. 

Some House Republicans with the Freedom Caucus said conditions should be placed on the funds. 

Senator Cardin noted any proceeds from those parties found to be at fault would be paid back to taxpayers, but he said the work must proceed before the liability is hashed out in court. 

Cardin also said he has been "encouraged by comments from his Republican colleagues."

Tribute for men killed in bridge collapse

Officials also paid tribute to those who lost their lives. 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lieutenant General Scott Spellmon said responders will "do all we can to find the remaining missing three workers and return them to their families. We are going to go about a lot of heavy lifting of steel and concrete in the weeks ahead, and we have to do that with a lot of care."

Weather impact on salvage response

After rain and lightning periodically stopped some operations last week, the past several days without severe weather have allowed crews to work at a faster pace, although storms expected later this week could hamper that.