FORT ARMISTEAD, Md. — The view at Fort Armistead Park has been stagnant for a while..
But soon, it'll be filled with action - barges and heavy machinery taking apart what's left of the Key Bridge.
"I'm excited to see anything happening," David Brooks from Glen Burnie said. "It’s good that they're starting it. It's taking a while, but there's so many things in Glen Burnie and Maryland that needs to be addressed. It takes time to get started on projects."
WATCH: Key Bridge demolition process to begin this week
The Maryland Transportation Authority previously announced demolition will begin on or about July 7, weather permitting. Now the agency says this week will focus on mobilizing assets and equipment.
William Scott hopes to get a glimpse of the construction the next time he comes to Fort Armistead to fish.
"I'm gonna try, if they'll be open here."
The MDTA is implementing safety procedures both on land and on water. Equipment is being installed in nearby communities to capture baseline noise and vibration data before the construction work starts, and it'll continue to be monitored throughout the process. In the river, buoys will mark safety zones and no entry areas around active work areas. Speed restrictions will also be put in place for boaters.
Last year, the MDTA's initial schedule had the demolition work beginning in the fall or early 2025; the date kept getting pushed back.
WMAR-2 News asked Governor Moore at an unrelated event Monday if that delay will impact the timeline for the rest of the rebuild, which the state projected to be completed by 2028.
"We're still very much working with all of our partners, to include our federal partners, to be able to ensure that everything that we promised to the people of the people of the state, and frankly the people of the country, that we're going to deliver upon. We're thankful that the last Congress offered and gave the 100% cost share and we're planning on and we are moving as quickly as possible and work with all of the partners that we have on board to ensure that we can get the key Bridge rebuilt," he said.
"Honestly, I think it's going to take longer because they've got to redo the other roadways and the other bridges down here in Curtis Bay, and I think it's going to take longer than 4 years, I really do," Christopher Romey from Curtis Bay said, adding that it took 5 years to construct the old Key Bridge.
In Focus look at who is paying for the Key Bridge rebuild
So what have crews with the MDTA and its contractor Kiewit been doing for the last few months?
"The project team spent the first half of 2025 doing the analysis needed of the ground conditions in order to determine where the bridge will be located," MDTA Executive Director Bruce Gartner said in this MDTA update. "Through that process they determined a location East and towards the bay would be the most economical design to maintain the project schedule."
Once construction finally picks up, the MDTA says the people who live around here can expect to hear noise from heavy machinery from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The MDTA provided more details about the demolition in a press release at the end of June:
"Demolition work is expected to take several months to complete and will involve the use of heavy machinery to carefully dismantle the remaining portions of the Key Bridge. The process will begin with removal of bridge deck over the river, followed by demolition of sections over Hawkins Point and then Sollers Point. This phase of work focuses on removing portions of the existing structure that interfere with the alignment of the new bridge. Controlled detonations will not be used during this phase of demolition."
