I'm seeing enough information about replacing the
Francis Scott Key Bridge that was destroyed on Mar 26, 2024 that it is time to starts some notes about the replacement because I anticipate a lot of design and construction information.
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Maryland via TruckDriverNews via Facebook
[I just skimmed the text because I was after a rendition of the design. For all of the talk about the economic impact of the destroyed bridge, one would think someone would have funded some better dolphins for the old bridge. I could not find an estimated completion date.]
Kiewit Corporation posted
In partnership with the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), we've unveiled the design for the Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild. This new bridge will be Maryland’s first cable-stayed bridge, set to modernize Baltimore's skyline. It will have a main span of 1,665 feet and an overall length of two miles. |
Casey Jones found a better rendition of the preliminary design. The silver lining of destroying the old bridge is that the deck of the new bridge will be higher. This is important because the size of container ships keep growing. He also found an estimated completion date of 2028.
In fact, the height is increasing from 185' to 230'.
The Practical Engineer (Grady Hillhouse) just posted a couple of days agon (Feb 14, 2025) an explanation as to why most new long-span bridges are cable-stayed bridges. It occurred to me that it is appropriate to include here.
Casey's Jul 14, 2025, update:
Key Bridge Rebuild
posted three photos with the comment:
Baltimore here we come!
Six test piles have been loaded on a barge and are now en route. The large steel cylinder piles will be driven into the Patapsco riverbed for the test pile program. Some of these piles will be evaluated for the potential to be incorporated into the permanent foundations for the new bridge.
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Sep 30, 2025:
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| Comments on above post |
Oct 14, 2025:
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Mike Sorrelle posted
View from plane flying over Baltimore, showing the Key bridge with the missing middle section.
John Mapguy: what is that pinkish area on the right hand shore [or left bank?] Mike Sorrelle: John Mapguy Dredge material containment [They just recently started the Test Pile program.] |
Key Bridge Rebuild
posted four photos with the comment: "Bridging the Facts: Learn more about the flotilla."
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Key Bridge Rebuild posted
Key Bridge REIMAGINED: Maryland’s first cable-stayed bridge will deliver: Massive pier protection: Main pylon fenders larger than a football field and a vessel-protection system supported by 276 concrete-filled steel piles, each 8-foot wide. A new, modern Key Bridge is on the way! |
Key Bridge Rebuild posted four photos with the comment:
We’ve completed driving all test piles at Pier 24 and Pier 25! These are the main span piers, critical for supporting the central portion of the bridge. Next, the static load testing will begin.
The team placed the load frame on the piles and are preparing to simulate the forces the bridge will experience once constructed. This test helps verify that the foundation design can handle real-world loading conditions and deliver long-term safety and performance.
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William Ater Jr. commented on a
post:
Cost estimates of the replacement span have gone up.
Originally thought to cost around $1.9B USD, it’s now estimated to be somewhere between $4.3 & $5.2B USD.
Also, the new bridge’s original goal of being completed by 2028 has been pushed back to late 2030.
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