WASHINGTON D.C. — Governor Wes Moore met with U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in Washington D.C. on Thursday to discuss the reconstruction of two major infrastructure projects in Maryland — the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the American Legion Memorial Bridge.
"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.
In a joint statement released following their meeting, the two said it was agreed to accelerate the reconstruction of both bridges.
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.
In September, Duffy sent Moore a letter, expressing concerns over the cost to rebuild the Key Bridge. The initial cost estimate following the collapse was around $1.9 billion, with a completion date of 2028.
In November, the MDTA sent out a revised estimate of both the cost and timeline to rebuild. The agency now estimates it will cost between $4.3 and $5.2 billion and the timeline was pushed back to 2030.
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.
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.
