Maryland Matters reports, “State officials unveiled the design for the new Francis Scott Key Bridge on Monday, almost a year after a container ship slammed into the old bridge, sending it tumbling into the Patapsco River and killing six workers . . . . ‘This is a great day for Maryland,’ said Gov. Wes Moore (D), as the design was revealed. “But it’s not lost on me that today’s triumph was born out of tragedy.’”
Renderings show the span will be a “soaring cable-stayed” structure. It will have two traffic lanes in each direction and provide 230 feet of clearance over the ship channel, compared to the old bridge’s 185 feet of vertical clearance. “When it is completed — the contractor predicts the bridge could open in fall 2028 — the bridge will restore a major roadway between Dundalk and Baltimore.”
Officials said the replacement project’s next step will be demolition of the collapsed span’s remains. “Demolition is expected in the spring and construction will begin shortly after. Preconstruction operations have already begun, such as collecting soil samples and mapping subsurface waterways, the Maryland Transportation Authority said in January.
Governor Moore concurrently announced a $15 million investment in a project to increase container capacity at a major Baltimore Harbor logistics center.
A subpage on the Key Bridge Rebuild website has design images and information. Governor Moore issued an extensive news release on the design reveal.
The Washington Post and WBAL-TV also cover this story.