By BEN FINLEY and BRIAN WITTE (Associated Press)
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Experts say it may take 18 months to several years to rebuild Baltimore’s collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, with a cost of at least $400 million, or possibly more than double that amount.
The timelines and costs depend on various factors that are largely unknown at this point, such as the design of the new bridge and the speed at which government officials can navigate the bureaucracy to approve permits and award contracts.
According to Ben Schafer, an engineering professor at Johns Hopkins University, the project realistically could take five to seven years.
Ben Schafer, an engineering professor at Johns Hopkins University, expressed skepticism about the idea of building a whole bridge in two years, given the current lead time on air conditioning equipment for home renovations.
On the other hand, Sameh Badie, an engineering professor at George Washington University, is more optimistic, suggesting that the project could be completed in as little as 18 months to two years.
The Key Bridge collapsed on Tuesday, leading to the death of six crew members and necessitating urgent cleanup and reconstruction efforts to restore the city’s busy port and a section of the Baltimore beltway.
The disaster is somewhat similar to the deadly collapse of Florida’s Sunshine Skyway Bridge in 1980, which took five years to build, was 19 months late, and exceeded the budget by $20 million when it opened in 1987.
However, experts recommend looking at more recent bridge disasters to gauge the pace of reconstruction.
Jim Tymon, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, pointed to the example of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minnesota, which collapsed in 2007 but was replaced in under 14 months.
Jim Tymon noted that the swift approvals obtained for the I-35W bridge serve as the best comparison for a project like this, emphasizing the need for efficient collaboration among government agencies.
According to Tymon, various government agencies are expected to collaborate to expedite permits, including those related to the environment.
Tymon assured that all the necessary approvals will be obtained efficiently, as it is understood that the project must be completed as quickly as possible.
A pressing issue is the funding source, as President Joe Biden has committed to federal funding for the new bridge, though this remains to be confirmed.
Tymon expressed hope that Congress will promptly allocate the required resources to avoid delays.
While Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar facilitated rapid funding for the I-35W bridge in her state, she acknowledged that replacing the Baltimore span could pose greater challenges.
She mentioned that the I-35W bridge, a federal interstate highway, was a much busier road with approximately 140,000 vehicle crossings a day, compared with about 31,000 for the Maryland bridge.
“But if there's a strong desire, there's a solution, and you can get the emergency funding,” Klobuchar said. “It's happened all over the country when disasters hit. And the fact that this is such a major port also makes it deserving of ensuring that this all gets taken care of.”
Badie, from George Washington University, said the cost could range between $500 million and $1 billion, with the largest variable being the design.
For instance a suspension bridge like San Francisco’s Golden Gate will cost more, while a cable-stayed span, like Florida’s Skyway Sunshine Bridge, which handles weight using cables and towers, would be less expensive.
Whatever is constructed, steel is expensive these days and there is a backlog for I-beams, Badie said. Plus, the limited number of construction companies that can take on such a project are already busy with other jobs.
“A project like this is going to be expedited, so everything is going to cost a lot more,” Badie said.
Hota GangaRao, a West Virginia University engineering professor, said the project could cost as little as $400 million. But that’s only if the old bridge’s pier foundations are used; designers may want to locate the new supports farther away from the shipping channels to avoid another collision.
“That’s going to be more steel, more complicated construction and more checks and balances,” GangaRao said. “It all adds up.”
Norma Jean Mattei, an emeritus engineering professor at The University of New Orleans, said replacing the Key Bridge likely will take several years. Even if it’s a priority, the process of designing the span, getting permits and hiring contractors takes a lot of time. And then you have to build it.
“It’s quite a process to actually get a bridge of this type into operation,” she said.
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