U.S Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore gave updates on the rebuild of the Francis Scott Key Bridge recently.
Duffy and Moore clarified Maryland would be seeking new construction partners after the original contractor for Phase Two of the bridge project was released due to high costs.
“As we prepare to enter Phase 2 of construction, our team approached negotiations with our contractor with clear eyes and firm imperatives,” Moore said. “But after weeks of engagement, it became evident that the contractor’s proposed price and timeline for moving forward was unreasonably high and therefore unacceptable. This was informed by the state’s independent cost estimates. I concluded that accepting this proposal was not in the best interest of the people of Maryland and the American people.”
Moore said he directed the Maryland Transportation Authority to conduct a new procurement for Phase Two of the project.
Duffy said the US Department of Transportation was overseeing the project, due to the federal taxpayer funding being used to rebuild the bridge. Duffy called Moore’s decision to rebid the contract the “best possible outcome for the public.”
The Francis Scott Key Bridge fell into the Patapsco River in 2024 when it was struck by a container ship that had lost power. The bridge collapse killed six workers and created traffic havoc both on land and in the water for months.
In September 2025, the US DOT sent a letter to Moore requesting information on the costs, after reports the project had grown from $1.8 billion to more than $5 billion. In November, the MDTA said the overall project would cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion rather than the original $2 billion estimate, and blamed inflation and updated design costs for the change.
MDTA officials said in order to avoid another collapse, the bridge had an advanced pier protection system which made the bridge wider and taller over the federal channel, adding another $1 billion to the bridge’s price tag. The agency also said the project would be completed in late 2030 instead of fall 2028.
In December, Duffy and Moore met to discuss escalating costs and delays. By January, Moore and Duffy met again, with Duffy saying he would take on greater oversight of the Key Bridge’s cost and progress.