When will the Key Bridge be completed — and what will it look like?

Despite the state of Maryland now searching for a new contractor for the rebuild of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, officials have said they still anticipate completing the project by their target date.

Here’s what we know about the timetable for the completion of the Baltimore bridge.

When will the Francis Scott Key Bridge be completed?

The Maryland Transportation Authority initially targeted a fall 2028 opening of the new bridge, but that date was later pushed back.

Now two years into the rebuild effort, officials say the project is only about 70% designed, and the opening has slipped to late 2030, marking a two-year delay from the state’s original post-collapse projection.

The revised timeline accounts for continued engineering work on the bridge’s final design, along with updated cost estimates and construction logistics in the busy Baltimore harbor.

“Recent pre-construction activities, updated datapoints, and design – not available in the immediate days following the bridge collapse – have been used to inform the MDTA on an updated estimated cost and schedule for the project,” according to the MDTA.

MDTA Secretary Katie Thomson said last month the department “is working at breakneck speed” to ensure the project is done by 2030.

What will the new Francis Scott Key Bridge look like?

The new Francis Scott Key Bridge is designed as a modern cable-stayed structure that will stretch more than two miles across the Patapsco River.

The structure’s length is 11,015 feet and it will use nearly 98,000 square yards of concrete for the surface.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore unveiled the design for the new Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. The progressive design builder Kiewit and MDTA created the design.

It will feature two main towers — each rising more than 600 feet above water — to support the bridge’s central section. The design includes a significantly higher clearance over the shipping channel to allow larger, more modern cargo ships to pass safely beneath it.

Officials say the structure is being built to meet updated engineering and safety standards for major maritime corridors, with stronger protections against vessel strikes than the original bridge.

It is also intended to be a long-term replacement and has a projected service life of roughly 100 years.

Gov. Wes Moore called the project “a triumph born out of tragedy,” while Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller said it will serve as “a symbol of freedom, connecting people to opportunities and to one another,” WYPR reported.