Bridge rebuild costs surge to $5B

Maryland officials have revised cost estimates for the Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild to between $4.3 billion and $5.3 billion, more than double the original projection, with completion now expected in 2030.

The cost of rebuilding the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has more than doubled, with completion now expected to take longer than anticipated.

The bridge collapsed in March 2024, killing six construction workers after a cargo ship crashed into one of its support columns.

The cost projection has swelled from between $1.8 billion and $2 billion to between $4.3 billion and $5.3 billion, the Maryland Transportation Authority announced. Opening is now expected in 2030, a full two years later than the previous estimate.

“Preliminary cost and timeline estimates were made less than two weeks after the crash and before any engineering studies were conducted,” Maryland Governor Wes Moore said in a statement.

“Since then, national economic conditions have deteriorated and material costs have increased,” he continued.

The bridge served as a critical traffic artery to the Port of Baltimore, with more than 35,000 cars and trucks crossing it daily.

Following the accident, then-President Joe Biden promised that the federal government would cover the costs. Moore said his administration will continue working with the Trump administration to find ways to reduce costs and accelerate construction.