A close look at progress on Baltimore’s new Key Bridge
The rebuilding of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge is hitting key milestones as Maryland moves forward with a new plan for completing the more than $5 billion project.
From the construction site, it’s clear much of the most important work is happening where most people can’t see it. Crews are lifting and driving massive steel piles deep into the Patapsco River to support the foundation of the bridge’s two main pylons.
“The vast majority of the 90 are already installed, so we have 80 of those installed,” Maryland Transportation Authority Chief Engineer Jim Harkness said.
The piles will also support the vessel protection system that will surround the bridge’s main pylons, helping shield them if a ship were to strike them. The original Key Bridge collapsed in 2024 after a cargo ship struck one of its supports. The collapse killed six construction workers who were repairing the bridge at the time.
That work, performed by Kiewit Corporation, is setting the stage for the next phase of construction, when crews will begin building the massive structures that will eventually rise above the water and support the new cable-stayed bridge.
“Kiewit is on schedule right now to finish this work by the early spring of next year,” Maryland Transportation Authority Director of Project Development Brian Wolfe said.
The update comes as Maryland moves away from its original plan to use one contractor to build the entire new bridge. While Kiewit remains on the job completing the foundation work, the rest of the project will be divided into four contracts covering the main span, demolition work and the bridge approaches.
“It enables us to have more competition among contractors. It also gives us the benefit to encourage and expand opportunities for our local workforce,” Harkness said.
Wolfe said Maryland remains confident the price tag for the bridge will be between $4.3 and $5.2 billion.
“So we’re still confident that we’re delivering this within that cost range that we mentioned in November,” Wolfe said.
A boat tour of the construction site offered a close-up look at the work being done. Giant cranes lifted piles weighing more than 150 tons into place while remnants of the old bridge remained visible nearby.
For Harkness, those reminders are impossible to ignore.
“I think the tragedy is always top of mind for me, especially when we come out to the site,” he said.
But he said the focus remains on moving the replacement bridge forward as quickly as possible.
“We’ve been able to advance the design very fast, expedite that, and then we’re doing our best now to expedite the construction as well,” Harkness said.
He said the goal remains to open the new bridge by the end of 2030.
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