By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
It’s been two years since the Dali container ship slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, sending a massive section of the structure—and eight overnight construction workers—into the Patapsco River.
The March 26, 2024, disaster claimed the lives of six workers: Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez, Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, Jose Mynor Lopez, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes and Carlos Daniel Hernandez Estrella.
It also blocked the main shipping channel for the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore for 11 weeks and severed a major connector for commerce and commuters. Since that fateful morning, state and local officials have been laser-focused on recovery. Now, the structure’s rebuild is the fastest-moving project of its size in the U.S.
“We showed the country what it meant to be, ‘Maryland tough and Baltimore strong,’” said Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. “We faced enormous obstacles—twisted steel, a river of uncertainty, livelihoods at risk—but the skeptics could not stop our people.”
Moore joined state and local officials at the Maryland Transportation Authority Headquarters on March 26 to commemorate the anniversary of the bridge collapse.
“When they said clearing the channel would take 11 months, Maryland got it done in 11 weeks. When the experts said that reaching a 70 percent design build could take five to seven years, we got it done in 14 months. When the experts said it could take years just to get permitting done, we got it done in months,” continued Moore. “When forecasts showed job losses at the Port of Baltimore, port workers ended up handling a record number of containers in 2025 and actually added jobs. We remain committed to rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge with intentionality, speed and safety, and I will work with anybody to make sure that we see that happen.”
Currently, the new bridge is expected to reopen in late 2030. It will be the state’s first cable-stayed bridge spanning more than 2 miles long with a 230-foot clearance to accommodate modern shipping demands.
The project is using a design-build model, in which a single lead contractor—Kiewit Infrastructure Co.—handles both the design and construction. This method is often employed to speed up large infrastructure projects.
The design process began in September 2024 and reached 70 percent completion late last year, with officials expecting full completion this June. Demolition of the old bridge was completed in January, and crews have now started to install foundation piles for the new structure.
As it stands, the rebuild is estimated to cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion, with Congress approving full federal funding for the project.
“We will rebuild the bridge with urgency and with the highest standards because the people of Maryland deserve nothing less,” said Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller. “Two years ago, we faced a day that we hoped would never come, and today we’re doing what Marylanders do: We rebuild, we rise and we move forward together.”
