Cable-stayed bridge to carry 2 travel lanes in each direction built to today's interstate standards
Cable-stayed bridge to carry 2 travel lanes in each direction built to today's interstate standards low voltage fire rated busway
Cable-stayed bridge to carry 2 travel lanes in each direction built to today's interstate standards
The governor unveiled a new design concept for the Francis Scott Key Bridge that's the first of its kind in Maryland and will stand 45 feet taller to accommodate larger ships.
State leaders celebrated a major milestone since the bridge's collapse with the unveiling of the new bridge's design concept. It'll be Maryland's first cable-stayed bridge with two travel lanes in each direction and an increased height from 185 feet to 230 feet.
Moore held a news conference Tuesday morning to show the new plan and reflect on progress made since the March 26, 2024, bridge collapse. He spoke to the families of the victims who died in the collapse, and he pointed to the accomplishments made.
"While many said it would take 11 months to reopen the Port of Baltimore, this team got it done in 11 weeks," Moore said. "This is the gold standard of what Unified Command could and should look like."
The governor said the new design honors the architectural tradition of the original bridge, which he said was built with the most advanced industrial standards at the time.
"We are going to use the best materials available, and we're going to employ many Marylanders to get it done," Moore said. "This is a really big deal ... this is an incredible step forward."
WBAL-TV 11 News has reported that pre-construction activities are underway and will be for a few months.
| ALSO: Following a five-month process of proposal submissions and review, the MDTA Board approved a contract for the first of two phases of the rebuilding process. See the details.
Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller said demolition of the remaining piers and construction will take place in the spring.
"Maryland's first cable-stayed bridge will rise, not just replacing what we lost, but revealing what we have found — strength and unity — in this state," Miller said. "We stand here today united stronger than ever before, ready to rebuild, ready to show the nation what Maryland is made of ... This bridge will stand as a beacon of perseverance."
Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said the new bridge, like the old one, will have two travel lanes in both directions that will be built to current interstate standards, which means a bit wider lanes and shoulders.
State officials said the bridge will play a vital part in the success of the port and the city.
"You cannot have a fully functional Port of Baltimore — the gateway to America — without the Key Bridge," Moore said. "It took a big team to get to this moment. It took a unified team to get to this moment. And, this moment is a very big deal."
What do you think of the new #KeyBridge design? Demolition of the existing piers begins this spring. Immediately after, construction of the new bridge begins. It's set to to open in the fall of 2028. @wbaltv11 pic.twitter.com/DHfPDsx47z
"This, obviously, is a significant milestone on our path to make the Baltimore region and the vital Northeast corridor whole again," Wiedefeld said. "The port is an economic driver for all of Maryland and the nation, and the former bridge had a big role in the port's operations and success. The new bridge will do the same, helping the port grow. The new bridge will serve as a gateway to Baltimore City. The crossing will once again connect people to communities and opportunities."
State officials said the new design will have modern safeguards in place but did not elaborate, saying those details were still in planning stages.
"They're still doing final design, but most likely not dolphins. But it's still in the preliminary design stage for that," Wiedefeld said. "I look forward to putting Baltimore's mark on this bridge by working with the communities on aesthetic designs, such as lighting, steel-girder color and and planned artwork for the bridge."
"This is a modern design we know is safer, that's what the most important thing is," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. "But also, we're here and we have the funding and we're now going to continue to work together to make this happen and always honor those who we lost."
Video below: Watch the governor's news conference in its entirety
In August, the Maryland Transportation Authority Board approved a $73 million contract for the first of two phases of the rebuilding process.
In December, Congress passed a government spending bill that included full funding for the rebuild.
The new bridge is set to open in the fall of 2028.
"This is a bridge that will last us 100 years. So, (we're going to) make sure that we're thinking down the road of what it'll mean to the Port of Baltimore for future economic growth of the city," Wiedefeld said.
Along with the design unveiling, Moore said his administration proposed new funding this year for projects at Tradepoint Atlantic that could increase the port's container capacity by 70%, create more than 8,000 jobs and generate more than $1 billion in private investment.
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