en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Maryland Transportation Authority announced on April 28 that it will no longer retain Kiewit Infrastructure Co. for the second phase of construction on the Francis Scott Key Bridge reconstruction project in Baltimore. Kiewit was selected in late August 2024 to participate in the initial phase of the progressive design-build procurement, tasked with developing a replacement plan for the collapsed Patapsco River crossing. Design development under its $73 million Phase 1 contract authorization has reached 70% completion.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore stated in a release that after weeks of engagement, “the proposed price and schedule put forward by the contractor to advance were significantly high and unacceptable.” Kiewit’s bid came in at $1.2 billion, at least $200 million higher than the other two shortlisted teams. The estimated construction cost for the Key Bridge reconstruction project has accelerated to over $5 billion, nearly three times the Maryland Transportation Authority’s initial estimate, and the project timeline has also slipped beyond the original fall 2028 target.
The Maryland Transportation Authority stated it will “go back into the market to negotiate the best deal to deliver this bridge as quickly and as safely as possible,” and has scheduled an industry forum in May to share follow-up information on the Key Bridge reconstruction procurement process. Kiewit spokesperson Teresa Shada said the company will continue completing the current Phase 1 scope of work, as well as the overall early works package, which includes pile driving and construction of a temporary trestle bridge to support construction activities, expected to last at least through the end of 2026.
The Key Bridge collapsed on March 26, 2024, after being struck by the cargo ship Dali, killing six construction workers. Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced earlier this month that the state has reached a settlement-in-principle with Grace Ocean Private Limited, the owner of the Dali, and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., the operator. Specific details of the settlement agreement have not yet been released, but it explicitly excludes any outstanding claims the state may file against Hyundai Heavy Industries, whose built power system was determined by the National Transportation Safety Board to be the source of the vessel’s power loss.
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