Additional Coverage:
- Maryland bridge rebuild costs soar to $5.2B, more than double original estimate officials provided (foxnews.com)
Key Bridge Reconstruction: Longer Timeline, Higher Price Tag Announced
Maryland officials delivered an update this Monday regarding the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, revealing a revised timeline and significantly increased cost projections. The project is now anticipated to take two years longer than initially estimated and will more than double its original price tag.
The announcement comes just ahead of a National Transportation Safety Board meeting scheduled for Tuesday to discuss the cause of the 2024 bridge collapse, which tragically resulted in six fatalities. According to authorities who spoke with The Washington Post, the new projections indicate the project won’t see completion until 2030, with costs potentially soaring to $5.2 billion.
Jim Harkness, chief engineer at the Maryland Transportation Authority, acknowledged the challenges of large-scale project estimation. “Estimating is difficult on these larger projects,” Harkness stated. “The market factors, that all comes into play.”
MDTA officials informed The Washington Post that the initial estimate of approximately $1.9 billion was based on expedited calculations made to ensure the state could secure federal funding for the critical project.
This sentiment aligns with earlier predictions from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who in August suggested the final bill would likely be “double plus” the initial estimate. Duffy offered a relatable analogy at the time: “It’s like if you go to dinner, and someone else is buying, you might order the finest, most expensive steak on the menu, versus if you’re buying, you might go, ‘I might get a little cheaper cut.’”
Maryland Governor Wes Moore also noted in a statement to The Washington Post that material costs have seen an increase since the initial projections were made last year.
In September, the Trump administration raised concerns about Governor Moore’s rebuilding plans. Secretary Duffy penned a letter to the governor, expressing appreciation for collaboration with the USDOT but also voicing apprehension that Annapolis “may intend to award contracts for the FSK Bridge project in a manner that relies on race and sex of contractors.” He warned of potential legal ramifications, citing the Civil Rights Act.
Following the bridge’s collapse, then-President Joe Biden pledged that the federal government would cover the entire estimated $1.8 billion cost to restore Interstate 695 to a full circle. In contrast, Secretary Duffy referenced the state’s responsibility, as the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) was in control of the FSK Bridge at the time of the collapse.