How much will it cost to reconstruct the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore?
Rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, could cost ‘10 times more’ than when it was originally constructed. Here are the figures.
Early on Tuesday, March 26, the iconic Francis Scott Key (FSK) Bridge which connects the coastal areas of Baltimore, Maryland, collapsed after being hit by a container ship owned by the Synergy Marine Group.
The 1.6 mile-long FSK bridge is a unique structure as it has a 1,200-foot span of truss bridge, making it the longest segment of its type at ground level. world. A truss bridge does not include hinges or joints since it is supported by three or more supports. According to initial reports, the ship named Dali collided with one of those supports, which led to the collapse of the structure.
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How much will it cost to reconstruct the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore?
According to official numbers, the construction of the bridge in 1977 cost $60 million, which is equivalent to about $300 million after factoring in inflation. However, reconstruction “could cost 10 times more,” that is, close to $600 million, according to engineer David MacKenzie speaking to NBC News.
“We have to build it quickly because we have already heard about the pressure on inter-urban traffic,” he explained.
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“That means it will be much more expensive and the procurement process will have to be greatly shortened. So, at the end of the day, it will be an expensive rebuild,” he added.
For their part, Baltimore authorities assured that the bridge will be rebuilt in a way that memorializes the people devastated by the tragedy and honors the affected community. This could raise the cost of reconstruction even further.
Regarding the time it would take to rebuild , MacKenzie gave an approximate period of about two years, given that the section cannot remain closed for very long due to the pressures of traffic. Debris collection is expected to take about a couple of weeks.
President Joe Biden has vowed that the federal government will shoulder the full cost of rebuilding the bridge.
“It’s my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge and I expect the Congress to support my effort,” he said.