DUNDALK, Md. — Nearly six months have gone by since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed.
On Monday night, neighbors in Dundalk heard about its rebuilding from the Maryland Transportation Authority and asked questions directly to Jim Harkness, the organization's chief engineer.
Folks gathered at the Precinct 12 Community Police Alliance meeting at the North Point Library on Merritt Boulevard as Harkness presented on the bridge reconstruction process.
After discussing the bridge's background and history, Harkness discussed traffic concerns, which many Dundalk residents have noticed since the bridge collapse.
"The traffic. I don't like to go through tunnels, so I would always prefer the bridge. So now it's a little more stressful going through the tunnel, and then the traffic of the tunnel," said Mary Perry, a Dundalk neighbor, as WMAR asked about chief concerns since the collapse.
Among other methods of trying to reduce traffic, MDTA recently announced it is suspending tolls at the Broening Highway interchange.
"That will remain so until the bridge reopens, which we hope is the fall of 2028," Harkness told the room.
MDTA recently contracted for 'phase one' of the rebuild; Omaha-based Kiewit Infrastructure, which has a Columbia location, was chosen to design and build the replacement.
READ MORE: Kiewit Corporation chosen to build Key Bridge replacement
"We essentially had to procure 3 contracts in order to rebuild the bridge. The first one, the biggest one, is the progressive design build," Harkness added.
MDTA obtained the federal 'Categorical Exclusion' classification. The reconstruction, MDTA says, will not cause any relocations of people or businesses, will have no effect on pre-collapse travel patterns, and will not significantly impact planned growth or land use.
"You'll have shoulders on the new bridge, pier protection, higher barriers—all of that is required because we're building it to new standards, not putting back exactly what was there because that was the standards at the time the bridge was designed and built in the late 60s and early 70s," Harkness said.
According to an MDTA timeline, it hopes to begin demolishing the bridge's remains this fall. According to a May document, the demolition is expected to take about ten months to finish.
The organization hopes to begin building the new bridge in winter or spring of next year, with a new bridge opening in fall 2028.
A separate Maryland Department of the Environment public hearing is set for Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 4:30pm at CCBC's Dundalk campus to discuss the rebuild project's permit.
