Maryland unveiled a preliminary design for the Francis Scott Key Bridge replacement on February 4, 2025. The planned crossing is more than two miles long, with a 1,665-foot cable-stayed main span and at least 230 feet of clearance above the federal navigation channel. It is still under construction: the state’s October 1, 2026 progress snapshot reported permanent supports 55% complete at the south tower and 26% at the north.
What Maryland unveiled—and what the design describes
The February 4, 2025 announcement presented a preliminary design concept for the replacement of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed in March 2024. It was a design milestone, not a completed bridge or a final construction status report. Maryland said final design work and regulatory approvals would follow before construction. Maryland Governor’s Office, February 4, 2025
Subsequent procurement documents provide more specific dimensions than the initial unveiling. The Maryland Transportation Authority’s July 21, 2026 request for qualifications (RFQ) describes a cable-stayed main bridge and sets dimensions for the main span and marine approaches contract. The state’s broader description of the finished crossing is more than two miles long. Those figures refer to different scopes: the total crossing is not the same measurement as the contract’s main-span length.
| Measurement | What it describes | Specified value |
|---|---|---|
| Total crossing | Maryland’s description of the finished bridge in its October 2026 update | More than 2 miles |
| Main span | Cable-stayed span specified in the July 2026 RFQ | 1,665 feet |
| Main span and marine approaches contract | Total contract length specified in the July 2026 RFQ | 3,365 feet |
| Pylons | Elevation specified in the July 2026 RFQ | 602 feet |
| Navigation clearance | Minimum vertical clearance above the federal navigation channel in the July 2026 RFQ | 230 feet |
The RFQ also calls for about 660 feet of south approach over water and about 1,560 feet of north approach over water. These approach lengths are part of the main-span and marine-approaches contract. The contract includes a vessel collision protection system at the main pylon piers. Maryland Transportation Authority, July 21, 2026
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What “designed for a 100-year lifespan” means
A February 6, 2025 Maryland Department of Transportation blog search result described the bridge’s “expected life span” as 100 years. The page itself was not retrievable, and the current official project sources cited here do not independently restate the figure. It is therefore best understood as an agency-reported design expectation, not a guarantee that the bridge will last exactly a century or a published result of a durability test.
Construction progress as of October 2026
Maryland’s latest sourced progress snapshot in the state’s October 1, 2026 dashboard announcement, updated October 2, reports the following figures as of October 1:
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- Permanent supports: 55% complete at the south tower and 26% at the north tower.
- Temporary work platforms on both sides: 99% complete.
These are point-in-time construction progress measures; they do not establish a completion date. Maryland describes the dashboard as a monthly source for measurable construction progress, completed work, design and procurement milestones, and stakeholder outreach. Maryland Governor’s Office, October 1, 2026; updated October 2, 2026
Why the procurement plan changed
The original plan used a progressive design-build agreement. In August 2024, the Maryland Transportation Authority awarded Kiewit a Phase 1 contract, with exclusive rights to negotiate Phase 2 if the parties agreed on a guaranteed maximum price. The announcement anticipated the replacement opening in fall 2028 under that earlier plan. Maryland Department of Transportation, August 29, 2024
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That arrangement changed. On April 28, 2026, MDTA said Kiewit’s Phase 2 proposal exceeded the state’s independent cost estimates and that the authority would seek other contractors. Kiewit’s Phase 1 work, including foundation piles and a temporary trestle, continued. Maryland Transportation Authority, April 28, 2026
In July 2026, MDTA released an RFQ for a competitive, sealed, two-step process to select a design-build team for the main span and marine approaches—the largest of the project’s four contracts. This later procurement specification is the source for the dimensions listed above; it does not itself supply a current opening date or total project cost.
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When will the replacement bridge open?
The fall 2028 date was an expectation announced in August 2024 under the earlier contracting plan. The official sources cited here do not establish a replacement opening date after the Phase 2 procurement changed. For dated construction and procurement updates, consult Maryland’s Key Bridge rebuild dashboard announcement.
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