Efforts to Rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge After Tragic Collapse

Local, state, and federal officials launched a massive effort to salvage something positive from the unthinkable situation that occurred three months after Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, killing six people, closing a major port, and disrupting vehicle traffic along the Eastern Seaboard. 

Maryland Governor Wes Moore told CNBC, “We’re working with construction companies and designers, and we’re working with the people of our state, to think about what we hope for this almost two-mile-long bridge.” 

The process reached a major milestone last week when workers succeeded in reopening the main navigation channel to the Port of Baltimore, the country’s largest port for vehicles. That process alone was initially predicted to take up to a year. 

“It was not eleven months long. We collaborate, so we completed it in 11 weeks,” Moore remarked.

But here is when things get really difficult. Authorities intend to take advantage of the catastrophe to reevaluate all of the area’s infrastructure.

This will be a significant chance for our state to examine all of its roads, bridges, tunnels, and other infrastructure. You know, the development and expansion of our economy depend heavily on our vital infrastructure,” Moore stated.

A portion of that preparation has already started. The Maryland Transportation Authority released its initial call for bids to reconstruct the bridge last month. According to the concept, a “Progressive Design-Build Approach” will be used; under this approach, the construction and design firms are recruited simultaneously and collaborate throughout the project. 

With this efficiency, a new bridge could be constructed in just four years, which would be incredibly quick for a project that would normally cost more than $2 billion. The Maryland Transportation Authority is anticipated to select the companies this summer.

Pete Buttigieg, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, told CNBC that the new bridge will be far superior to the old one, which opened in 1977.

Buttigieg stated, “We know things about how to put up a bridge that we didn’t know in the 1970s.” “No one desired to witness this terrible calamity that took place. However, it does present a chance—and, I would argue, a responsibility—to make things right in the future.

Transportation planners have recently started holding a number of community meetings to get community feedback. During a virtual meeting on June 11, questions about whether the new bridge will be a toll bridge like the old one (which is the intention) and if it will be wider than the previous four-lane structure were raised. The answer was no.

In order to gather public feedback, officials have promised an “engagement tour” as the process moves along.

The Hanover Street Bridge across the Patapsco River is already scheduled for rebuilding. Still, the city of Baltimore wants to expedite funds for this project because it has become a major detour for motorists who used to use the Key Bridge.

In contrast, Buttigieg, who is in charge of over 54,000 projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021, said that the situation in Baltimore is a significantly accelerated version of the processes taking place in states and cities across the nation.

He stated, “You can think of any state, city, airport authority, or transit agency that provides funding to projects.”

Buttigieg admitted that part of the demand is a reflection of the need, but it is also a result of the enormous amount of money being made available—$550 billion in financing for infrastructure and transportation over five years.

He remarked, “It shows me how much work needs to be done in this country.” “The challenges we faced with COVID at the start of this decade served as a painful reminder to us as a nation about the value of our infrastructure. We witnessed what occurs when our supply chains are strained.