In consideration of budget limitations, and to minimize potential conflicts with any future Bay Bridge spans anticipated from the Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study Tier 2 NEPA which is still underway, the Bay Bridge Protection Project has been divided into phases. Any future new bridge project, assuming it is funded for design and construction, will take over a decade to complete during which the current bridge needs to stay operational. Phase 1 of the Bay Bridge Protection Project includes the installation of physical protection systems around the four towers of the suspension towers supporting the main spans of the two bridges. The estimated cost for Phase 1 of the project is more than $170M and it is fully funded in MDTA’s Capital Budget. Subsequent project phases may be developed and are dependent on funding availability. On October 20, 2025, the MDTA hosted an Industry Forum for the Bay Bridge Protection Project to provide an overview of the project and inform the contracting community about the upcoming procurement process. The MDTA anticipates the Request for Proposals will be advertised in winter 2025/2026. The preliminary schedule for the project is outlined below.
Francis Scott Key Bridge Rebuild
The Key Bridge Rebuild Project will replace the collapsed bridge and restore a critical connection to the Port of Baltimore. The replacement bridge will be designed to meet current interstate standards, carrying four 12-foot travel lanes, 10-foot outside shoulders and 4-foot inside shoulders. The minimum vertical clearance for the replacement bridge will be 230 feet over the 800-foot federally authorized Fort McHenry Navigation Channel, as documented in the USCG Preliminary Navigation Clearance Determination (PNCD) and reflected in the USCG issued Bridge Permit. The main bridge span over the navigation channel will be a 1,665-foot cable-stayed span between the main bridge piers with 850-foot back spans. In compliance with the USCG PNCD, the horizontal clearance between the pier protection that will surround the new main span piers will be no less than 1,100 feet. As shown in the image below, the size of the planned pier protection is significant as the fenders are larger than a football field. The main H-shaped towers supporting the cable stayed bridge will rise to a height of approximately 600 feet above the
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