MEMORANDUM
MDTA Board
TO:
Chief Engineer James Harkness, P.E., PTOE
FROM:
KB-4903-0000 – Key Bridge Rebuild Update
SUBJECT:
November 25, 2025
DATE:
PURPOSE OF MEMORANDUM
To update the MDTA Board on the program scope, cost, and schedule for the reconstruction efforts for the Francis Scott Key (FSK) Bridge.
SUMMARY
The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) continues to work in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration to quickly and safely advance the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The project’s development and design progression has resulted in an updated cost estimate range of $4.3- $5.2 billion with an anticipated open-to-traffic date in late 2030. Preliminary estimates for the cost and timeline of the rebuild were made less than two weeks after the initial incident in March 2024, prior to any design or engineering studies. Since then, national economic conditions have changed significantly and material costs have increased dramatically. Pre-construction activities, updated datapoints and advanced design – not available in the immediate days following the bridge collapse – have been used to inform the MDTA on an updated estimated cost and schedule for the project. After negotiations with the progressive design builder Kiewit are complete, MDTA anticipates the final cost of the project will be within the estimated price range. The increased length of the main span, now 1,665 feet, has resulted in an increase of the overall span of the bridge and the height of the main piers. The increased size accommodates larger marine traffic and is needed to comply with current guidelines from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials for new bridges. The size and cost of the pier protection, the extent of which was not accounted for in the preliminary estimate, adds a significant cost to the project. The towers needed to accommodate both the length and 230-foot height of the bridge deck add a significantly higher cost than initial assumptions. According to the Federal Highway Administration, highway construction costs have increased approximately 72% in the last five years, which has led to an uncertain construction and bonding market nationwide. Inflation remains a risk to the cost of materials and contractors continue to price that risk into their bids. The cost of raw materials and labor remains constantly in flux. When pricing construction jobs, uncertainty equates to risk, which impacts cost.
2310 Broening Highway • Baltimore, MD 21224 • mdta@mdta.maryland.gov • 410.537.1000 • 711 (MD Relay) • mdta.maryland.gov • DriveEzMD.com
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