Key Bridge Updates

Balmer Sun, White House urges Congress to fund 100% of Key Bridge rebuild

As state of Maryland officials consider which builder to select for the Francis Scott Key Bridge replacement, the White House reiterated Friday its plans to fund the rebuild in its entirety.

Democratic President Joe Biden has stated the federal government will fully pay for the new bridge, and Shalanda Young, director of the Office of Management and Budget, again urged Congress to do so in a letter to the Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson.

The letter updated requests that the White House sent Congress in October, including a new ask for $3.1 billion to repair highways and roads “damaged in disasters and other emergencies” — which includes the new Key Bridge. The span is expected to cost roughly $1.7 billion. In addition to funding the new bridge, the letter calls for funds for disaster relief from fires last summer on Maui and tornadoes throughout the country.

“I urge the Congress to take action as soon as possible, and the Administration stands ready to work with you to fund these urgent needs,” Young wrote. 

Federal highways are generally funded with 90% federal money and 10% from the state level, but the letter repeated the White House’s request to authorize “100 percent Federal cost share for rebuilding the bridge, consistent with the response of past bridge collapses.”

The federal government would also “pursue all avenues to recover the costs of rebuilding,” the letter continued. That could mean recouping money from insurance or litigation.

That's the first I've heard of the 90:10 split on federal highways, but it makes sense. I would hope they could take Maryland's share of the bridge, assuming Congress doesn't agree, which they probably will, would come out of the Dali's contribution, which I assume will be massive, but slow, like the ship.

Also at the Sun,  5 things to know about Key Bridge collapse, efforts to rebuild Baltimore span

1) New bridge expected by 2028: The Maryland Transportation Authority’s goal is to open the bridge to all lanes of vehicular traffic “no later than October 15, 2028,” according to a request for proposals (RFP) it released May 31. The deadline for proposals was Monday and teams submitted their pitches to the authority, which owns the bridge. By mid- to late summer, a builder — likely a collection of companies — will be selected. . . .

2) Biden pledged to pay for it: The bridge is expected to cost roughly $1.7 billion and Democratic President Joe Biden has pledged that the federal government will completely pay for it. Maryland’s congressional leaders introduced a bill in April that specifies the federal government will pay 100% of the cost, but the bill has yet to pass. . . .

3) NTSB investigation ongoing: What caused the 984-foot Dali to lose power and run into the bridge remains under investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board, which will likely finish its analysis next year, said Monday that it is looking into an electrical component — about the diameter of a soda can — on the massive ship.

4) Dali moves south: After the collapse, the Dali spent roughly two months grounded in the shipping channel, tangled with bridge wreckage. It was refloated and moved to the Port of Baltimore by five tugboats last month. This week, it sailed under its own power, going under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge near Annapolis and on to Norfolk, Virginia. The 100,000-ton vessel, with crunched containers still on its damaged bow, was assisted by four tugboats and two other vessels as it made the 23-hour journey to Virginia, where it will receive extensive repairs.

5) Some crew depart: Of the original 21 crew members aboard the Dali at the time of the collapse, who are from India and Sri Lanka, 10 were granted permission to return home. The remaining crew will stay in the Baltimore area for the time being. Four of the crew members, given their familiarity with the vessel, traveled alongside a replacement crew to Virginia, with plans to return to Baltimore later.