HAWKINS POINT, Md. (WBFF) — Maryland’s plan to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge hit a major setback Tuesday, as state officials abruptly canceled a key construction contract, undercutting Gov. Wes Moore’s repeated claim that the project was the nation’s “fastest-moving” large infrastructure effort.
The decision to off-ramp contractor Kiewit Infrastructure Co. from the project’s critical second phase came after its proposals “far exceeded” state estimates, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
The move forces Maryland back into the market for a new builder at a pivotal moment, as project costs have surged from roughly $1.8 billion to more than $5.2 billion. It transforms what Moore has framed as a model of speed into a high-stakes test of the administration’s ability to manage one of the most expensive and politically scrutinized infrastructure projects in the country…