Gov. Moore: Key Bridge rebuild will be completed with ‘speed’ despite contractor setback

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — The rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge will be completed with “speed,” Gov. Wes Moore said Saturday during his campaign launch rally at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore City. This comes after the cancelation of a key construction contract on Tuesday.

The decision to axe contractor Kiewit Infrastructure Co. from the project’s second phase was due to the contractor’s “unreasonably high” proposed price and timeline, according to the governor’s statement released on April 28.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy echoed Moore’s statement, saying the contractors’ proposals “far exceeded” state estimates.

ALSO READ | Key Bridge turmoil: contractor out, timeline and costs unclear

In the early morning hours of March 26, 2024, the ship Dali was traveling out of the Baltimore Harbor when it experienced a loss of electrical power and propulsion, striking the southern pier supporting the central truss spans of the Key Bridge, which then collapsed, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.

On May 2, 2026, Gov. Moore said in his second-term Maryland “will complete major projects with speed, safety, and cost savings, and by the way Baltimore that includes the Francis Scott Key Bridge.”

This will not be easy,” he added. “But, we’re not promised easy. If we do our job, we’re promised victory.”

On Tuesday, the governor said he directed MDTA to conduct a new procurement for Phase 2 of the Key Bridge project.

“We are confident [it] will deliver the best deal for taxpayers while ensuring that the project is delivered with the highest standards,” Gov. Moore said via statement.

The projected costs of the rebuild have jumped from $1.8 billion to at least $5.2 million. The rebuild is now expected to be completed by late 2030 instead of its original completion date of 2028.

MDTA said Tuesday that work on the bridge will continue with Kiewit fulfilling its contractual obligation for Phase 1. That work is expected to last at least through the end of the year, according to a MDTA statement.

MDTA will host an industry forum this month to share more information about next steps.

You can watch Moore’s rally in full below: