Maryland receives environmental approvals for Key Bridge reconstruction

BALTIMORE -- The Maryland Transportation Authority and the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration received federal environmental approvals to begin reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. 

"The federal agency determined that because the replacement Key Bridge will be within the former bridge's right-of-way and have the same capacity of four travel lanes, it is not anticipated to significantly impact community, natural or cultural resources," the MDTA said in a statement.

While the project is expected to restore the positive socioeconomic and transportation impacts that the demolished Key Bridge once provided, the MTA said the rebuild will not cause negative impacts to the environment or require people or businesses to relocate. 

The MDTA is also inviting engineering consultant teams to submit proposals for a $75 million contract for the rebuild project.

"The consultant will serve as MDTA's engineering representative and provide a range of support services such as risk management/analyses; establishing, reviewing, tracking and monitoring cost and schedules; managing project documentation; liaising with environmental regulators; and overseeing Disadvantage Business Enterprise compliance, among other services," the MDTA said. 

Interested bidders can access the Request for Proposals at eMaryland Marketplace Advantage website.

The General Engineering Consultant proposals are due Monday, August 19. 

"Not again"

Communities that sit just outside of what remains of the Key Bridge structure still feel the impacts of the deadly collapse nearly four months later. 

"Not again," Courtney Speed, from Turner Station said. "Not for myself and certainly not for the following generations."

A longtime resident and business owner, Speed said the collapse was physically felt from Avon Beach Drive. 

The community sandwiched between what was an on-ramp, and off-ramp to the I-695 connector and the Port of Baltimore, residents report an increase in heavy vehicles on residential roadways while many reroute to alternative access points.

"Now what's impacting us is the large trucks that come on this residential street, which we are not able to handle because the community was not built for heavy traffic," Speed said. 

How much will the rebuild cost?

The overall cost to rebuild the Key Bridge is estimated to be $1.7 billion, 90% of which is expected to be contributed by the federal government.

After President Joe Biden vowed to make the federal government pay for the rebuild, the White House included the measure in a $4 billion emergency funding request. 

But that proposition is not without pushback from some lawmakers.  While proponents like Senator Ben Cardin urged congress to pass full emergency funding to pay for the bridge, some senators, like Republican West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito believe Maryland should repay some of the replacement costs through tolls.  

In a federal hearing before the U.S. Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee on Wednesday, Capito argued that there were other important projects in the country that need funding. 

A funding vote could happen after Labor Day. 

The new bridge is projected to be open by October 2028.