Federal Officials Press Maryland on Rising Costs for Key Bridge Rebuild
Key Takeaways
- Key Bridge rebuild costs have risen from $1.9B to $5B, with the completion date pushed from 2028 to 2030.
- FHWA has issued an RFI to accelerate the American Legion Bridge reconstruction, citing extreme congestion on the Capital Beltway.
- USDOT Secretary Duffy has raised concerns about project oversight and taxpayer-funded scope, prompting a meeting with Gov. Moore.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has scheduled a meeting with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore to address reconstruction efforts for two major Maryland bridges — the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the American Legion Memorial Bridge, according to the a news release from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).
The rebuild of the Francis Scott Key Bridge — which collapsed in March 2024 after a container ship struck one of its piers — has seen significant cost escalation since initial estimates, USDOT said.
WBAL News Radio reported that the project’s original estimate of $1.9 billion with a 2028 completion has increased to $5 billion with a revised target of 2030.
Officials attributed the cost increases to early estimates being based on a smaller bridge concept that ultimately did not meet federal guidelines, along with rising material prices, inflation and labor-market pressures, WBAL News Radio reported.
Federal Concerns Over Project Scope and Oversight
According to the USDOT release, Duffy sent a letter to the governor in September questioning the feasibility of the revised budget and timeline, as well as oversight protocols for a replacement project entirely funded by taxpayers.
Moore’s press office said the project information made available to USDOT is “as thick as a small-town phonebook,” WBAL News Radio reported.
American Legion Bridge Reconstruction Seeks Public Input
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) also issued a Request for Information (RFI) for public input on ways to accelerate the reconstruction of the American Legion Memorial Bridge, which carries Interstate 495 between Maryland and Washington D.C, according to the USDOT press release.
The reconstruction is intended to ease chronic congestion on the Capital Beltway, which includes the I-495 and Interstate 270 corridors. In 2025, Washinton D.C. was ranked number one in the nation for traffic congestion, with backups averaging six hours, according to USDOT.
FHWA Administrator Sean McMaster stated in the press release that long-standing inaction on the corridor has prompted renewed efforts to gather public feedback and restart the multi-state congestion relief plan,
USDOT noted that Maryland and Virginia announced a joint effort in 2019 to extend express lanes into Marland to reduce Beltway congestion. Virginia has since completed new 495 express lanes from the Dulles Toll Road to the George Washington Memorial Parkway, but FFX Now reported that long-term congestion relief will require the expansion of the American Legion Memorial Bridge.
WBAL News Radio reported that the meeting between Duffy and Moore will take place in the coming weeks.
Sources: USDOT, WBAL News Radio, FFX Now