Maryland officials unveil design for new Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after old span collapsed in 2024. Cable-stayed bridge to restore vital I-695 connection by fall 2028, supporting Port of Baltimore and Northeast Corridor. $15 million investment in Tradepoint Atlantic enhances regional economic growth and job creation.
Key Bridge Rebuild rendering
Md. officials unveiled the new design for Baltimore’s new Francis Scott Key Bridge on Feb. 3, almost a year after a container ship slammed into the old span.
Md. officials unveiled the new design for Baltimore's new Francis Scott Key Bridge on Feb. 3, 2025, almost a year after a container ship slammed into the old span, sending it tumbling into the Patapsco River and killing six workers in the process.
"This is a great day for Maryland," said Gov. Wes Moore as the design was revealed. "But it's not lost on me that today's triumph was born out of tragedy."
Renderings of the new structure show a soaring cable-stayed bridge to replace the old steel truss bridge that was destroyed in the early hours of March 26, 2024, when the container ship Dali slammed into the span.
Once it is built — the contractor predicts the bridge could open in fall 2028 — the new structure will be the first cable-stayed bridge in the state and restore I-695/Baltimore Beltway, a major connection between Dundalk and Baltimore. The freeway also is a principle commercial route on the East Coast.
The loss of the bridge disrupted supply chains and shut down a toll road used by more than 30,000 vehicles a day, and which collects $56 million in tolls per year, Maryland Matters reported.
"This directive isn't about nostalgia, it's about necessity, because you can't have a fully functioning Port of Baltimore … without the Key Bridge," Moore said during the bridge design's debut event at Tradepoint Atlantic, not far from the remnants of the destroyed structure.
The governor also announced an investment of $15 million in Tradepoint Atlantic's terminal container project, which is expected to increase container capacity at the complex by 70 percent. That project is expected to generate as much as $1 billion in private investments and create up to 8,000 jobs.
Rebuilt Key Bridge Vital to Northeast Corridor
The new Key Bridge will carry four lanes, with two in each direction. In addition, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said the rebuilt bridge will provide 230 ft. of clearance for ships passing underneath, compared with the old span's clearance height of 185 ft.
He characterized the design unveiling as a "significant milestone on our path to make the Baltimore region and the vital Northeast corridor whole again."
"The Port [of Baltimore] is an economic driver for all of Maryland and the nation," he said, noting that the new structure will be "a working bridge for a working city," though its designs are not fully finalized.
Now that the initial plans and renderings have been revealed, the next step in the bridge's construction is razing what remains of the old structure, according to Moore. Demolition is expected in spring 2025 and construction will begin shortly after, he said.
Preconstruction operations already have begun, such as collecting soil samples and mapping subsurface waterways, the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) announced in January 2025.
Also in January 2025, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved a $75 million contract to hire three firms that will oversee construction management services on the project under the name Bridging Maryland Partnership. The group will oversee work by the project contractor, Kiewit Infrastructure Co., to ensure that "the accelerated design and construction process remains on track," according to MDTA.
"Maryland is a bridge between America and the rest of the world," Moore added. "Commerce and trade are the bedrock of our state. And we will continue to make investments that honor our tradition. We still have work to do, but this is a very important step forward."
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