[Maryland] dumps Kiewit as Key Bridge builder, potentially delaying project past 2030

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Baltimore Banner

Transportation
State dumps Kiewit as Key Bridge builder, potentially delaying project past 2030

Hayes Gardner
4/28/2026 2:29 p.m. EDT, Updated 4/28/2026 3:58 p.m. EDT

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Kiewit, one of North America’s largest construction and engineering companies, had been expected to both design and construct the new Key Bridge. (Jerry Jackson/The Banner)

The contractor’s projected rebuild cost was ‘significantly’ higher than state estimates

Two years into the costly, high-profile rebuild of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the state is breaking up with its lead contractor.

Kiewit, one of North America’s largest construction and engineering companies, had been expected to both design and construct the new Key Bridge. Now, citing Kiewit’s high cost estimates, state government will seek a new builder in the open market.

That could delay the bridge’s opening, which, to the dismay of frustrated commuters and residents, is already expected to be more than four years away.

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Read more: https://www.thebanner.com/community/transportation/baltimore-key-bridge-rebuild-contractor-kiewit-TWC6UN46RBH7NDHUHDG5T2YMX4/

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The bridge's collapse was national news. The absence of the bridge affects traffic all across the mid-Atlantic.

[underpants]

1. Woof. The procurement process on this has to be significant

especially to time.

[Norrrm]

2. Vs how quickly it fell down.

[QueerDuck]

3. This saddens me.

[littlemissmartypants]

4. Sounds like Kiewit started smelling a big taxpayer funded flexible paycheck.

I believe that this is the right move for the citizens after having read the article.

[flashman13]

5. First I would question the accuracy of the state's estimate. Does the state have suffucient competency to

produce a realistic estimate? This bridge project is a very complex undertaking and a well established construction company is certainly better equipped than a state engineering department to make a real world estimate. I have to assume that Kiewit has already done quite a large amount of engineering just to produce an estimate. They are the experts. That is just reality.

Worst case approach would be to divide design and construction between two different entities. Combining design and construction, is a far better way to proceed than to divide the process. Issues will undoubtedly arise during construction. Trying to address those issues between two different organizations is not efficient, timely, or cost effective. Bringing a new organization in at this stage is not the way to save funding. If the new organization is competent and experienced, all things being equal, their estimate will probably not be all that different from Kiewit's. Obviously there will be time wasted making a transition. You are going to have to factor in the cost of that delay to bridge users?

One last thing; low bid is very often not the way to go. If the bid is significantly lower, the question becomes, what are you leaving out? No organization will do a project like this on a fixed cost. Low balling the bid to get the contract is hardly unknown. After work commences, the omissions come to light as the change orders pile up. Change orders really drive up the end cost.

[progressoid]

6. Hmm. A little transparancy would be nice.

In November, the state increased the project’s expected cost to between $4.3 and $5.2 billion and its scheduled opening to the end of 2030 — already billions more and years longer than an estimate made in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.

Kiewit’s cost projection was far higher than even that new range, Thomson said. She and Kiewit declined to specify the amount.

Of course it doesn't help that the Trump admin is involved.