Sign In
Crews are currently engaged in crucial preconstruction activities for the Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild project at the Baltimore-area site of the bridge’s remains. These efforts involve gathering critical data to ensure the safe and effective construction of the new bridge.
Data Collection for Foundation Design
Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Chief Engineer Jim Harkness emphasized the importance of this “due diligence” on Friday, WMAR Baltimore reported. Since January, contractors have been gathering data on the soil.
“As you can imagine,” Harkness explained, “the information that is related to the soils is of the utmost importance when you’re building a bridge, especially a bridge of this magnitude.”
This stage of preconstruction focuses on understanding the subsurface conditions. “We need to know the subsurface conditions so we can adequately design the foundations that support the new bridge,” Harkness added. This detailed analysis will inform the engineering decisions critical to the bridge’s stability.
Soil Sampling from the Riverbed
Barges are actively collecting soil samples from the Patapsco River bed. “They’re going to take and gather information at each of the locations where we think our new piers will be, so we need the information for each of those pier locations. Because it does vary even a couple hundred feet apart,” Harkness noted.
The samples are then analyzed in a laboratory, providing engineers and architects with the data they need to complete the design of the bridge’s foundation.
Cable-Stayed Design Unveiled
The state recently unveiled the conceptual plan for the replacement bridge, which will feature a cable-stayed design and stand 45 feet taller than the original Key Bridge.
A conceptual image from the plans submitted by the Maryland Transportation Authority to the US Coast Guard for rebuilding Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. Image: US Coast Guard
Debris Removal and Construction Timeline
Before construction on the new bridge can start, the remaining sections of the collapsed Key Bridge must be removed. This removal is slated to occur in the spring, paving the way for the full bridge construction, which is projected to be completed by 2028.
The project follows the tragic collapse of the bridge on March 26, 2024, when a large cargo ship lost electrical power and crashed into the structure, resulting in the deaths of six road workers.
The Maryland construction project will replace the 1.7-mile-long bridge on I-695 / MD 695 that crosses the Patapsco River. The rebuild is expected to cost approximately $2 billion.
Construction economy news and insights you can act on.
Subscribe to our economic reports.
About ConstructConnect
Construction Starts Here™ at ConstructConnect, where our mission is to help the construction industry start every project on a solid foundation. A leading provider of software solutions for the preconstruction industry, ConstructConnect empowers commercial construction firms to streamline their workflows and maximize productivity. ConstructConnect operates as a business unit of Roper Technologies (Nasdaq: ROP), a constituent of the Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Fortune 1000.
