Contract approved for Baltimore bridge rebuild after deadly collapse

The fallen Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is pictured in March, as divers assisted crews with the complicated and meticulous operation of removing steel and concrete (Mike Pesoli/AP)

Transportation leaders in the US have approved a contract for the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, several months after it collapsed under the impact of a massive container ship that lost power and crashed into one of its supporting columns.

In the immediate aftermath of the deadly March 26 collapse, officials quickly promised to rebuild the bridge — a long-standing Baltimore landmark and vital piece of transportation infrastructure.