The Best of the Bay
This rendering shows the planned design for the rebuilt Key Bridge, expected to be finished in 2028. enclosed busway
Less than a year after the container ship M/V Dali struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge and caused a deadly total collapse, Maryland and federal leaders have revealed the design of the new bridge that will be built to replace it.
On Tuesday, Maryland Governor Wes Moore showed off renderings of the new bridge, which he said “honors the architectural tradition of the Francis Scott Key Bridge” while modernizing it with cables running from the deck to a pair of towers. It also raises the clearance for large vessels, going from the old bridge’s clearance of 185′ to a new clearance of 230′ at high tide.
Moore pledged that, as the original bridge was built in 1977 using the most advanced industry standard and best materials available at that time, the new bridge will also be “constructed in accordance with the most advanced industry standards and with the best infrastructure design.” He said, “We are going to use the best materials available and are going to employ many Marylanders to get it done.”
Transportation leaders are wasting no time in getting the project going. Maryland Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, who is a former transportation engineer, said that preconstruction is already underway on both land and water, with demolition set to begin this spring.
“Soon Maryland’s first cable-stayed bridge will rise,” she said. A cable-stayed bridge is one in which the weight of the deck is supported by a number of cables running directly to one or more towers. The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge is a famous example in Charleston, South Carolina, and the Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed bridge. This type of bridge is typically cost-effective and allows for a faster construction time compared to other bridge types.
Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld says cost-effectiveness and construction time are two of the biggest considerations for this project. Shortly after the collapse, the federal government pledged to fully fund the bridge rebuild, freeing up $60 million in immediate relief to serve as an initial down payment for reconstruction, Federal Highway Administration Maryland Administrator Valeria Remezova said. Gov. Moore also noted that the Maryland Attorney General has filed suit against the owners of the M/V Dali to make sure Marylanders don’t shoulder the cost of the new Key Bridge.
Time is of the essence for the bridge’s reconstruction. The Key bridge was a major artery for the Baltimore region, and a lifeline to road traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore. The bridge’s loss is being felt significantly by the trucking industry. Maryland Motor Truck Association Executive Vice President Armand Patella cited a recent study by the University of Maryland and Morgan State University which found the Key Bridge collapse will increase costs for the trucking industry by $92.8 million in 2025 alone. That makes almost $450 million in additional expenses between now and the new bridge’s expected opening in 2028.
Miller said the new bridge is “optimized” to meet industry needs for the region now and for the years to come, calling it a 100-year bridge. “While this is a beautiful bridge, it will also be a working bridge for a working city.” The design is still preliminary, and proejct leaders plan to work with the community for input on aesthetics. They said the public will be able to weigh in on design decisions like lighting, steel girder color, and artwork to add color and leave Baltimore’s “mark” on the new bridge.
While leaders were not ready to release details on how the bridge will be protected from future ship strikes, Wiedefeld says the bridge will be up to modern standards for protection, but it may not be with dolphins (structures meant to serve as a barrier keeping vessels from hitting the bridge itself.) The old Key Bridge dolphins were a subject of scrutiny after the disaster that killed six construction workers and shut down the port.
The next big step in the project will be the demolition of the bridge parts that still remain near each shore of the former bridge. Wiedefeld said an updated schedule and budget will be released in the next month or two.
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