Bridge rebuild secures environmental approvals

The Maryland Transportation Authority and the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration Tuesday received key federal environmental approvals for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge between Baltimore and Dundalk.

The Federal Highway Administration has issued a categorical exclusion classification and National Environmental Policy Act approval for the Interstate 695 Francis Scott Key Bridge Rebuild Project.

The federal agency determined that because the replacement Key Bridge will be within the former bridge’s right of way and have the same capacity of four travel lanes, it is not anticipated to significantly impact community, natural or cultural resources.

“Securing this approval marks a major milestone in rebuilding the Key Bridge and reconnecting communities following the March 26 catastrophic collapse,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary and MDTA Chairman Paul J. Wiedefeld. “This approval from the federal government formally gives MDTA the go-ahead to move forward with plans to rebuild the Key Bridge.”

The project will restore a critical link in the interstate system. According to the report, the Rebuild Project:

• Will not induce significant impacts to planned growth or land use for the area.

• Will not cause any relocations of people or businesses.

• Will have no effect on travel patterns from pre-collapse conditions.

• Will not impact historic or park and recreational resources.

As MDTA continues to work to implement this project as quickly as possible, the authority released a request for proposals on Friday, July 19, inviting consultant teams to submit proposals for the $75 million General Engineering Consultant contract as part of the Francis Scott Key Bridge Rebuild. Interested bidders can access the request for proposals at eMaryland Marketplace Advantage.

The General Engineering Consultant proposals are due Monday, Aug. 19. MDTA expects to award the contract in February 2025. This contract will have a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise goal of 31.5%.

The consultant will serve as MDTA’s engineering representative and provide a range of support services such as risk management/analyses; establishing, reviewing, tracking and monitoring cost and schedules; managing project documentation; liaising with environmental regulators; and overseeing Disadvantage Business Enterprise compliance, among other services.

The chosen General Engineering Consultant will also manage the Progressive Design-Builder, which will be selected by the MDTA later this summer, by auditing the Progressive Design-Builder’s processes, reviewing submittals and confirming the design criteria is met.

The MDTA will host a pre-proposal conference Friday at 2 p.m. via Microsoft Teams. The link is provided in the solicitation posted on eMMA.

As planning and design advances, MDTA will further engage the community on the future of the bridge. For more details on the rebuild efforts and where to find our team at upcoming community events, visit KeyBridgeRebuild.com.