Key Bridge Rebuild Costs Significantly Increase,Completion Delayed to 2030
Teh rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is now estimated to cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion,with a projected completion date in late 2030,Maryland transportation officials announced on November 17th. This represents a considerable increase from earlier estimates reported in 2024, wich were more than twice the current projection.
The initial cost estimates were developed less than two weeks after the bridge collapsed on March 26th, 2024, when the container ship Dali struck one of the bridge’s piers. According to Samantha Biddle,Maryland’s acting state Transportation secretary and Maryland transportation Authority chair,the updated cost and schedule reflect significant increases in material costs as the initial tragedy.
Biddle stated the revised figures are also directly linked to the inclusion of a “robust pier protection system” designed to safeguard the new bridge and minimize the risk of future ship strikes to its foundational piers.
The announcement precedes a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearing scheduled for Tuesday in Washington, D.C., to present findings from their investigation into the crash, which resulted in the deaths of six construction workers.
The NTSB previously determined in March 2025 that the Maryland Transportation Authority failed to conduct a “critical vulnerability assessment” that could have identified the old Key Bridge’s susceptibility to ship strikes. The NTSB also cautioned that 30 agencies responsible for 68 bridges over navigable waterways frequented by ocean-going vessels might potentially be unaware of potential collapse risks from vessel collisions and the need for preventative measures.
Maryland officials explained that the initial 2024 estimates were necessary to secure federal emergency funding for cleanup and recovery efforts. They also noted that national economic conditions and material costs have “increased dramatically” since then, pushing the completion date from 2028 to 2030.
Despite the increased costs and delayed timeline,the project is progressing rapidly. Bruce Gartner, MDTA Executive Director, highlighted that the Key Bridge Rebuild achieved 70% design completion in 14 months, significantly faster than the average of seven years for similar projects.
The new bridge design incorporates a main span of 1,665 feet, an increase from the old bridge’s 1,200-foot span. This larger size, along with increased pier height, is intended to accommodate modern marine traffic and comply with current guidelines from the American association of State Highway and Transportation Officials for new bridge construction.
