BALTIMORE– Preliminary work to gather data for the design of a new Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore will begin in January, according to Maryland officials.
The Baltimore Sun reports that work will include topographical and underwater surveys, as well as soil sampling, according to Bradley Tanner, a spokesman for the Maryland Transportation Authority.
The bridge collapsed March 26 after a container ship lost power and crashed into one of its supporting columns, leaving six members of a roadworks crew dead.
A Coast Guard notice obtained by The Sun warns mariners of construction activity in the Patapsco River beginning Jan. 7 through the state’s estimated completion of the new bridge in October 2028.
Demolition is expected in the spring, Jim Harkness, chief engineer of the Maryland Transportation Authority, told The Baltimore Banner reports.
Reconstruction is expected to take nearly four years and cost approximately $2 billion.
In August, the Maryland Transportation Authority awarded the construction contract to Omaha, Nebraska-based Kiewit Corporation.