The cost of rebuilding the collapsed Baltimore bridge has more than doubled, according to a document viewed by POLITICO.
Maryland officials anticipate that rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore could cost as much as $5.2 billion, a huge jump in price from the initial estimate.
The new estimate of the rebuild is between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion, more than double earlier estimates, according to a document reviewed by POLITICO.
As Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, was asking members of Congress last year to cover 100 percent of the federal share, he said the initial price tag could be between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion.
The estimated completion date has also been pushed back from 2028 to late 2030, the document shows. The Maryland Transportation Authority is set to vote Nov. 25 to approve the updated cost estimate and schedule.
Construction costs have increased because of safety upgrades to implement pier protection structures and a bigger main span to provide enhanced vessel protection and safe navigational clearance aligned with federal standards.
After POLITICO reported that the bridge rebuild could cost more than $5 billion, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote to Moore asking to speak with him about the rising costs of the project. It’s unclear whether they have met or had a conversation on the matter.
Moore, in a statement, said that construction costs have risen because “national economic conditions have deteriorated and material costs have increased.” He blamed “trade policies coming out of Washington, D.C.” as a driver of those rising costs, a seeming swipe at President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Moore further acknowledged the timeline “is not what we initially hoped for,” but said he had “full confidence” in his team.
Though Trump has criticized Moore and threatened to pull federal funds for the bridge replacement, the governor said he will engage with the president as the project progresses.
“We will continue to work with the Trump Administration to find ways to reduce costs and rebuild faster. And we will keep Marylanders continuously apprised of construction progress,” Moore said.
The Department of Transportation did not respond to a request for comment.
In March of 2024, the Dali container ship lost power and crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six people and bringing the Port of Baltimore to a halt. Maryland, along with federal partners, worked quickly to clear the wreckage from the Patapsco River and reopen the channel.
In late 2024, as the Biden administration was winding down, Congress required the federal government to fully fund the rebuild of the bridge at 100 percent, rather than the traditional 90 percent.
Some GOP lawmakers have been hesitant about the federal government footing the entire bill, but it would take 60 votes in the Senate to overcome the filibuster and rework that agreement. Democrats would be unlikely to support such an effort.
The National Transportation Safety Board is set to hold a meeting Tuesday to determine the probable cause of the crash.