1-13-2025 4:49am

KEY BRIDGE REBUILD

Key Bridge Pre-Construction Starts This Month, Demolition Coming Soon

Key Bridge pre-construction starts this month. The remaining sections of the bridge will be demolished soon. See the timeline.

Pre-construction work for the Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild starts this month. Officials announced the timeline Wednesday, roughly nine months after the cargo ship Dali lost power and crashed into the bridge, toppling the crossing and killing six road workers.

The news comes weeks after President Joe Biden signed a law ensuring the federal government will pay for the entire rebuild, rather than the typical 90% for most infrastructure disasters.

The new bridge is expected to open in fall 2028 and cost up to $1.9 billion. Some of the costs are likely to be recovered via payouts from insurance and litigation against the ship owner.

Crews will demolish the remaining two approach ramps to the Key Bridge this spring, The Baltimore Banner reported.

Before that, pre-construction activities will include drilling to collect soil samples and mapping subsurface waterways. These tasks will take place on land and in the Patapsco River, which the Key Bridge traversed. Noise, traffic and maritime impacts will be minimal.

Pre-construction will continue "over the next few months" and "provide vital datapoints to inform design and construction decisions."

"This is a monumental project for the region, and we're committed to keeping the public
informed every step of the way," Maryland Transportation Secretary and MDTA Chairman
Paul J. Wiedefeld said in a Wednesday press release. "These early activities are crucial in setting the foundation for a safe, efficient and sustainable bridge for the future."

The MDTA will offer pre-construction inspections at about 1,100 homes and businesses near the bridge. The rebuild isn't expected to damage any properties, but some neighbors worry it will hurt their foundations or basements. The surveys will establish a clear baseline for buildings before any construction begins.

Affected properties received information about the free and voluntary inspections in December. Evaluations will take place in January and February.

To keep residents informed, the MDTA also launched keybridgerebuild.com and the Key Bridge Rebuild Facebook page. Marylanders can also subscribe to the Key Bridge mailing list, email info@keybridgerebuild.com or call 800-515-7030 for more details.

To learn more about the pre-construction activities, watch this video with MDTA Chief Engineer Jim Harkness.