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maryland Officials have more than doubled the estimated cost to replace Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed last year after a giant container ship crashed into it and killed six construction workers, and they have added two years to the estimated completion date.
The Maryland Transportation Authority said Monday it is updating its financial forecast to include a price range between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion, with an estimated open-to-traffic date in the late 2030s. This exceeds the previous estimated cost of $1.9 billion and the start date of late 2028.
Acting Transportation Secretary and MDTA President Samantha J. Biddle said, “As the design has advanced and pre-construction work has progressed, it has become clear that material costs for all aspects of the project have increased drastically since initial estimates were prepared less than two weeks after the initial tragedy.”
The announcement came a day after Maryland officials National Transportation Safety Board They were scheduled to vote on their findings about what caused a giant container ship to hit the bridge. The board was scheduled to meet Tuesday morning in Washington to vote on the probable cause, safety recommendations and any changes to the earlier report.
Investigators previously discovered a loose cable that could have caused electrical problems on the cargo ship branchIt lost power and went off course before hitting the bridge, according to documents released last year by the NTSB.
On Monday, Biddle said the updated cost limit and schedule is directly related to increased material costs and the safety of the new Key Bridge and a stronger pier security system designed to reduce the possibility of future ship strikes.
“The new Francis Scott Key Bridge is not just a local infrastructure project – it is vital to our nation’s economy and will connect baltimore Sectors for economies throughout the United States and around the world. “Although reconstruction will take longer and cost more than initially anticipated, we are committed to rebuilding as safely, quickly and cost-effectively as possible,” Biddle said in a statement.
Since the initial timeline and cost estimates were put in place immediately after the bridge collapse, “the national economic situation has deteriorated and material costs have increased,” Gov. wes mooreOne Democrat, said. “At the same time, increased costs have resulted from federal design and flexibility standards – not because of discretionary state choices.”
The governor also said the state would continue litigation against those responsible, “so that taxpayers do not suffer.”
The bridge, an old Baltimore landmark, was a vital part of the transportation infrastructure that allowed drivers to easily bypass the city. The original 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometre) steel span took five years to construct and opened to traffic in 1977. It was particularly important for the city’s port operations.