Baltimore drops Kiewit for Key Bridge

Maryland just did the rare thing in a mega-project — it pulled the plug on its original builder before the main construction phase began. On April 28, the Maryland Transportation Authority said Kiewit Infrastructure Co. will not be retained for Phase 2 of the Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild in Baltimore. The state’s reason was blunt: Kiewit’s proposed price and timeline were too high. That matters because this is not a routine bridge job. It is the replacement for the span that collapsed after the containership *Dali* struck it in March 2024, killing six workers and cutting a major freight link tied to the Port of Baltimore. (mdta.maryland.gov) ### What actually changed? Kiewit is not being kicked off the whole project. The split is narrower than that. Maryland used a progressive design-build contract, which basically means one firm starts with early design and preconstruction work, then the parties try to agree on (mdta.maryland.gov 1)(mdta.maryland.gov 2) ### Why did Maryland walk away? Because the state says the numbers stopped making sense. Governor Wes Moore said Kiewit’s proposed Phase 2 price and timeline were “unreasonably high,” and MDTA said the proposal far exceeded the state’s independent cost estimates. In plain Eng(mdta.maryland.gov)cials were looped into that decision too. (mdta.maryland.gov) ### Is the whole rebuild now paused? No — and that is the key distinction. Kiewit still has to finish its Phase 1 obligations, which include design work, driving foundation piles, and building a temporary trestle. MDTA says that work should continue at least through the end of 2026 while the state lines up replacement contractors for the next phase. So the project is disrupted, but not frozen. (mdta.maryland.gov) ### How far had Kiewit gotten? Pretty far on paper, not far on the main build. MDTA says design development moved from 0% to 70% in just 14 months. Kiewit had originally been selected in August 2024 under a $73 million Phase 1 contract. That structure always left open the pos(mdta.maryland.gov)e state actually used it. (mdta.maryland.gov) ### Why is cost suddenly the whole story? Because the project got much bigger. In November 2025, Maryland raised the rebuild estimate to $4.3 billion to $5.2 billion and pushed the opening to 2030 from fall 2028. The state tied that jump to tougher federally required safety s(mdta.maryland.gov) main construction package got a lot less forgiving. (wypr.org) ### Why does a contractor swap matter so much? Mega-projects run on sequencing. The designer, marine work, foundations, steel packages, and local subcontractors all have to line up. Changing the lead builder this late does not automatically blow up the schedule, but it does force Maryland to repac(wypr.org)ant bridge while early work is underway is messy even when everyone says continuity is preserved. (mdta.maryland.gov) ### What happens next? MDTA says it will hold an industry day in May and seek other contractors for Phase 2. So the state is now trying to do two things at once — keep early work moving and reopen competition for the biggest chunk of the rebuild. That makes the next procureme(mdta.maryland.gov)ends in the same expensive place. (mdta.maryland.gov) ### Bottom line? Baltimore’s bridge rebuild is still moving, but the easy version is over. Maryland decided that staying with Kiewit on the original path cost too much. Now it has to prove that switching horses midstream saves money without burning more time on a bridge the region cannot afford to wait years longer for. (mdta.maryland.gov)