ANNAPOLIS — Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy met to discuss the Francis Scott Key Bridge reconstruction project, reaching agreements on several key issues as the project faces an expanded budget and timeline.
"You know, we agreed that the Key Bridge is now the fastest moving project, a major project in the United States of America right now," Moore said.
The meeting comes after comments about federal funding for the bridge reconstruction. Congress approved full federal funding for the project in 2024, but President Donald Trump has since suggested reconsidering whether Maryland should receive the money.
Gov. Moore meets with Sec. Duffy on Key Bridge rebuild to talk cost, timeline
RELATED: Gov. Moore and Sec. of Transportation Duffy meet to discuss rebuild of the Francis Scott Key Bridge
Representative Andy Harris echoed similar sentiments in October, arguing the state could finance the project independently.
"It was not built with federal dollars, it was not was a federal road so it could be built with state dollars, the state could borrow the money instead of the federal government borrowing the money," Harris said.
When asked whether Maryland would need to contribute additional funds to the rebuild, Moore emphasized the state's existing financial commitment.
"I was just very happy to see that there was, there was an acknowledgment that Maryland is already putting skin in the game, that now between both insurance and also upfront costs, Maryland has around a half a billion dollars that we have already put into this project," Moore said.
Moore attributed the increased costs and extended timeline to federal regulations requiring additional safety features and a longer span than the original bridge design. Both Moore and Duffy expressed concerns about maintaining project momentum.
"I just believe this state has to move faster and we've got to be a state of yes and now," Moore said.
The bridge is currently in the design and testing phase. Latest estimates project completion by 2030 with a price tag between $4 billion and $5 billion.
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