When the container ship Dali plowed into Baltimore' Key Bridge on March 26, blocking the entrance to Baltimore's harbor, the disaster was felt not only in the city but across the nation. Baltimore is a major shipping port that was a primary port for automobiles and heavy machinery until the bridge was collapsed, backing up both exported and imported goods. The team responsible for removing the thousands of tons of steel and concrete, led by the Army Corps of Engineers, has opened a narrow channel for shipping and will have the normal channel open by the end of May. Replacement of the bridge, which carries interstate traffic over its 1.6 mile span, will take a longer time, as the Baltimore Sun reports:
"Maryland transportation officials said Thursday that they expect to replace the Francis Scott Key Bridge with a new span in just over four years.
The project to replace the span of Interstate 695 by fall of 2028 is estimated to cost between $1.7 and $1.9 billion, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said Thursday. [snip]
The cost estimate is preliminary, with detailed engineering specifics not confirmed, Wiedefeld said in a phone interview. A major caveat in the timeline will be going through the bidding process. The rebuild will be a 'progressive design-build' project, meaning the selected contractor will hire a designer and plan steps along the way, to 'get this thing open as quickly as possible,' Wiedefeld said.
'We’re going at this extremely aggressively' while still keeping in mind budget and time restraints, he said.
The new bridge is expected to be paid for either mostly or entirely with federal funds, with Maryland’s entire congressional delegation putting forth legislation to ensure the federal government covers all costs." (our emphasis)
Insurance giant Chubb was the insurer on the bridge, and is on the hook for a $350 million payout, which they will seek to get compensated for by the container ship's company and insurer. Six construction workers perished when the bridge collapsed, and all but one have been recovered from the water.
(photo: Corps of Engineers ship removes debris . AP / Julia Nikhinson)
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