Maryland Gov. Wes Moore to unveil new design for Baltimore's Key Bridge on Tuesday
BALTIMORE — Gov. Wes Moore and the Maryland Transportation Authority plan to unveil the new concept for the design of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at Tradepoint Atlantic on Tuesday.
The new design marks is a 'significant milestone' in the multiyear project to restore the connection with the community, enhance safety and improve accessibility and economic growth, according to a news release.
Along with Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld and MTA Executive Director Bruce Gartner, Moore plans to host a news conference outlining the new developments at 11:30 a.m. at Tradepoint's Sparrows Point facility.
On March 26, 2024, the Dali container ship, which weighed more than 112,000 tons loaded with freight, experienced a reported power outage near the Baltimore bridge and smashed into one of its principal supporting piers around 1:30 a.m. The bridge crumbled in an instant, sending a crew of workers, who were repairing potholes on Interstate 695, tumbling into the frigid river below. Six highway construction workers were killed.
The Dali had just left the Port of Baltimore for an intended monthslong voyage to Sri Lanka.
Officials have pledged to hold those behind the ship accountable for the crash, depending on an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. The independent federal agency is probing everything from what went wrong aboard the ship to the bridge's previous design.
The replacement bridge is expected to be completed by October 2028 and will cost between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, according to state officials. Congress has approved full funding for the project.
Construction crews on barges, drills, cranes, tugs and service vessels have begun drilling to collect soil samples and map subsurface waterways around the Key Bridge. Officials with the MTA said noise impacts and traffic disruptions will be minimal and will not significantly impact navigation on the Patapsco River.
Demolition of the remaining structure is slated to begin this spring with construction beginning shortly thereafter.
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The critics Critics, including many Republicans in the General Assembly, told WJZ Investigates they want a change in direction at DJS, citing repeat, violent offenders going unpunished. "Someone who is 16- and 17-years-old, if they commit a violent crime, they should absolutely be held accountable. I certainly hope the acting secretary does not continue down that pathway [of Schiraldi]," Baltimore County Republican Delegate Ryan Nawrocki told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. Nawrocki said the resignation came as a surprise. "The governor definitely dug in on his confidence in Secretary Schiraldi, so I was definitely surprised by his resignation, but I certainly think it was long overdue," he said. "As you know, I have been calling for his resignation now for well over a year. The system is fundamentally broken at DJS, and I believe the only way to have a good pathway forward is to have new leadership at the top of that organization." 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It doesn't serve the goals of public safety. It feeds fear, and it's contrary to the best practices in research," Schiraldi said. He told WJZ his last day on the job is June 20.
