US$1.7 billion Francis Scott Key Bridge replacement design

The design of the US$1.7 billion Francis Scott Key Bridge replacement is revealed.
By MJ Woof February 6, 2025 Read time: 2 mins
A digital rendering shows what the new Francis Scott Key Bridge will look like – image courtesy of the Maryland Transportation Authority


The design concept for the replacement Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore has been revealed by officials in the US state of Maryland, with the project expected to cost US$1.7 billion. Maryland governor Wes Moore stated that the new design will be the state’s first highway cable-stayed bridge, constructed according to the most advanced industry standards and best infrastructure design practices.

Spanning the Patapsco River, the new bridge will replace the previous structure, which collapsed after being hit by a cargo vessel in March 2024. Although bridge officials managed to stop traffic before the ship impacted with the structure, six construction personnel carrying out road surface maintenance work were unable to escape and were killed.

Although the old bridge had passed safety checks it had been completed in the 1970s and its design did not provide protection against impacts by the large vessels now in use.

The new bridge will feature two lanes in either direction, with shoulders and will be over 3.2km in length. It will allow a minimum clearance of over 70m between the deck and the water in the channel. The support towers will be 183m-high while the distance between the main-span pylons will be 488m and the total length of the cable-stayed main span will exceed 1km. 

The new bridge will have an expected life span of 100 years and will be designed with protection around its supports to ensure that it will not be damaged in the event of a collision by a vessel. The project is being overseen by the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA).

The wreckage of the old bridge was removed from the busy waterway within 11 weeks after the collision, clearing the channel and reopening the Port of Baltimore.

The MDTA has shared a digital rendering of the design for the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The new design has been developed jointly between MTDA and Kiewit Construction. Preparatory work for the new bridge has already commenced and the structure is expected to be complete by 2028.

 

Road Structures

Related Content

  • Zhejiang Jiashao Bridge Investment & Development Co
    April 6, 2017
    Located in Zhejiang Province of China, Jiashao Bridge spans the Qiantang River and connects the cities of Jiaxing and Shaoxing. The total length of the bridge project is 10.14km and carries an eight-lane expressway The Qiantang River suffers from a high flow rate of up to 7.5m/s. As the tidal range is around 7-9m, the water depth is less than 2m in time of low level tide, so ships can only move at high tide and large scale ship-lifting equipment cannot be used downstream of Jiashao Bridge. However, to
    Read More
  • Giving credence for Clearwater revival
    October 29, 2018
    The Minnesota Highway 24 Bridge spanning the Mississippi River at Clearwater is not a major structure. However, it does play a key role as the 376.4m-long bridge links US Highway 10 and Interstate 94. These routes run parallel on opposite sides of the Mississippi River and connect St Cloud to Minneapolis. There was a need to replace the old bridge, built in the 1950s, as it has been designated functionally obsolete, while it featured a restricted maximum load of 36.3tonnes. The price tag to demolish and
    Read More
  • US$439 million highway for Kerala, India
    August 6, 2024
    A US$439 million highway is planned for Kerala in India.
    Read More
  • £30 million highways contract for UK
    April 14, 2025
    Heidelberg Materials has a £30 million highways contract for UK.
    Read More

Highlighted Content