Steps to rebuild the Key Bridge began within days after an apparent power loss caused the 984-ft container vessel M/V Dali to drift into a pylon supporting the original half-century-old through truss structure early on the morning of March 26. The impact collapsed the main bridge span, killing six construction workers. 

President Joe Biden subsequently pledged full federal funding for a replacement structure, a program MDTA currently estimates will cost between $1.7 billion to $1.9 billion. A funding strategy has yet to be finalized, though proceeds from expected litigation may be used to replenish public sources, officials have said.

Although state officials have often referred to a cable-stay design in public comments regarding a replacement structure, MDTA’s request for proposals specified only that the new bridge have a 75-year service life, with the final design to be developed by the agency and the design-build team. The agency has set a goal of 26% DBE participation, with the possibility of a project labor agreement as a requirement for the program’s second phase.

On April 30, Italy’s Webuild Group and its U.S. subsidiary Lane Construction offered a pro bono proposal for a cable-stayed replacement structure that included significantly increased vertical and horizontal clearance to better accommodate large container vessels calling on the Port of Baltimore. A Lane Construction spokesperson was unable to confirm whether Webuild also responded to MDTA’s RFP.

Similarly, a Kiewit spokesperson declined to comment on an early June social media post announcing the company’s plans to respond to MDTA’s RFP and a “virtual diverse subcontractor/supplier outreach event” that would discuss anticipated contract and teaming opportunities.

The Channel Is Cleared

Meanwhile, maritime traffic to and from the Port of Baltimore is gradually returning to normal following the June 10 reopening of the full 700-ft-wide deep draft shipping channel, which had been blocked for more than two months with steel, concrete and asphalt from the collapsed bridge.

According to the six-agency unified command that oversaw the operation, the federally funded effort to remove approximately 50,000 tons of wreckage involved a fleet of 18 barges, 22 tugboats, 13 floating cranes, 10 excavators, and four survey boats, as well as hundreds of workers and technical experts. Unified command also said any needed follow-on work in the channel, including removal of steel at or below the 50-ft-deep mud line, will be performed as part of routine maintenance by the Corps of Engineers’ Baltimore District to safeguard future dredging operations.

Throughout the effort, said Baltimore District commander Col. Estee Pinchasin, the team remained cognizant of the incident’s far-reaching impacts particularly the six workers who lost their lives.

“Not a day went by that we didn’t think about all of them, and that kept us going,” Pinchasin said.

Since early April, Skanska USA Civil Southeast, Inc. has been removing debris from outside the main navigation channel under an emergency procurement contract awarded by MDTA. Maryland’s Board of Public Works will consider formalizing the contract price of $50.3 million in early July, just weeks before the operation is scheduled to wrap up, according to a recent Skanska announcement. Funding will come from MDTA toll revenue, though the work may also be eligible for Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief Funds. 

The Dali Departs

As the Key Bridge rebuild proposals arrived June 24, the Dali began a 170-mile journey from the Port of Baltimore to Norfolk, Va., where it will undergo continued salvage and repairs from damage caused by the bridge collapse.

The U.S. Coast Guard, which oversaw the voyage, said the Dali sailed under its own power with a full crew of 22 and six salvage experts, and was accompanied by four tugboats, a salvage vessel and patrol boat to maintain a 500-yd safety zone. Traffic on the twin-span Chesapeake Bay Bridge at Annapolis was temporarily halted as a safety measure while the fully loaded Dali passed through structure’s 186-ft vertical clearance.

The departure of the Dali from Baltimore followed completion of the National Transportation Safety Board’s onboard examination of engineering systems and electrical system testing, and interviews with the vessel’s crewmembers. According to a June 24 update of the investigation, NTSB’s Materials Laboratory is analyzing electrical components and control wiring associated with a circuit breaker that unexpectedly opened when the Dali was three ship-lengths from the Key Bridge on March 26, causing the initial loss of electrical power to all shipboard lighting and most equipment.

An interruption in the control circuit for the circuit breaker’s undervoltage release was also noted during NTSB’s examination and testing of the Dali’s electrical power distribution system and control circuitry, the update noted.

NTSB says it “will continue to evaluate the design and operation of the vessel’s electrical power distribution system, and investigate all aspects of the accident to determine the probable cause and identify potential safety recommendations.”