Preconstruction work to begin in January to rebuild collapsed Baltimore bridge

BALTIMORE -- Preconstruction work to collect data to design a new Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is scheduled to begin in January, according to Maryland officials.

The Baltimore Sun reports that work is scheduled to include topographic and underwater surveys, as well as soil sampling, according to Bradley Tanner, a Maryland Transportation Authority spokesman.

The bridge collapsed March 26 after a container ship lost power and crashed into one of its supporting columns, sending six members of a roadwork crew plunging to their deaths.

A Coast Guard notice obtained by The Sun alerts mariners to construction activity in the Patapsco River starting Jan. 7 through the state’s estimated completion of the new bridge in October 2028.

Demolition is expected in the spring, said Jim Harkness, Maryland Transportation Authority’s chief engineer, The Baltimore Banner reports.

The rebuilding effort is expected to take nearly four years and cost about $2 billion.

In August, the Maryland Transportation Authority awarded the construction contract to the Omaha, Nebraska-based Kiewit Corporation.