Following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in early 2024, the Maryland Transportation Authority has released designs for a rebuild, which will be Maryland’s first highway cable-stayed bridge.

The bridge design is focused on enlarging the previous structure, a steel arch continuous truss bridge that collapsed in late March 2024 after a container ship collided into a pier.

With design-build services provided by engineering firm Kiewet, the redesign will “honour the architectural tradition of the original bridge”. While the destroyed bridge was a truss bridge, the new plans show a cable-stayed bridge, the first in Maryland according to the Maryland Transportation Authority (MBTA).

Renders show a predominantly white structure, with two main bridge towers. Cables descend from the towers to support the bridge deck below.

The Maryland Transportation Authority has released designs of a replacement bridge for the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge

Its design provides an increase in clearance height underneath the bridge from 56 metres to 70 metres (185 to 230 feet), and a larger gap between the central towers, or pylons, from the original 368 metres to 488 metres (1,209 to 1,600 feet).

The bridge’s height will also increase significantly. The main trusses of the previous bridge were 109 metres tall (358 feet), while the new towers are planned to reach 182 metres (600 feet).

There will be four total lanes on the bridge, two in each direction – the same as the former design.

Following final design and regulatory approvals, construction will commence on the project with completion slated for 2028.

Consultation and engineering firms Greenman-Pederson (GPI), Gannett Fleming, Michael Baker International and AECOM Technical Services were also recently announced as consultants on the project.

The bridge spans over the Patapsco River at the entrance to the Port of Baltimore and the city beyond. Its collapse delayed shipping routes worldwide, as the port is one of the busiest shipping routes in the United States.

The collapse also killed six members of a maintenance crew working on the bridge’s roadway.

“Today, we take an important step toward recovering from the tragic Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse that has affected not just Maryland’s economy, but the nation’s economy,” said Maryland Governor Wes Moore upon release of the bridge’s design.

“While we mark the unveiling of the new bridge design, we continue to honor the six Marylanders who lost their lives while serving our state, and their families who carry their legacy forward. Together, we will show the world what it means to be Maryland Tough and Baltimore Strong.”

Previously, Carlo Ratti designed a proposal for the bridge, while the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America nears completion in Detroit.

The images are courtesy of Maryland Transportation Authority 

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