Biden cites family ties to Baltimore, promises to rebuild collapsed bridge, tells city 'nation has your back'

President Biden visited the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge last week collapsed on Friday, his first since a cargo struck the bridge.

President Joe Biden, right, participates in an operational briefing on the response and recovery efforts of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge on Friday, in Dundalk, Md. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Biden, who said his father was raised in Baltimore and still has family in the region, received a briefing where he heard about the ongoing efforts to clear the channel, restore shipping and open road traffic near the city's port. 

He noted that the main priority was to open the Port of Baltimore, saying the lack of shipping would impact other ports around the country. That entails clearing the shipping channel to provide passage for commercial vessels. 

"It’s one of the nation’s largest shipping hubs," he said. 

He said "thousands of tons of mangled steel remain lodged in the water, blocking ships from moving in and out of the harbor."

US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS PLANS TO REOPEN PORT OF BALTIMORE BY END OF APRIL AFTER KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSE

Wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge rests on the container ship Dali, as President Joe Biden takes an aerial tour of the collapsed bridge on Friday in Baltimore, Md. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

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The Synergy Marine Group, which manages the ship, and Grace Ocean, the owner, filed a court petition Monday seeking to limit their legal liability, a routine but important procedure for cases litigated under U.S. maritime law.

Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz contributed to this report. 

Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com.

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-cites-family-ties-baltimore-promises-rebuild-collapsed-bridge-tells-city-nation-has-your-back