Crews will start preconstruction work for the Key Bridge rebuild on January 7, followed by demolition in the spring. The rebuilding of the Key Bridge in Baltimore is set to begin this month.

Preconstruction efforts will start on January 7, with crews surveying the area, scanning the Patapsco River bed, and collecting soil samples, according to the Baltimore Banner. Demolition of the collapsed bridge span will take place in the spring, but the Fort McHenry Channel will remain open throughout the process.

Omaha-based Kiewit Infrastructure Co. was awarded a $73 million design-build contract by the Maryland Transportation Authority Board in August. The project encompasses Phase 1 of the bridge replacement, which collapsed in March 2024 when it was struck by the cargo ship Dali.

Kiewit has exclusive rights to negotiate for Phase 2, which includes the final design and construction. The entire bridge replacement is expected to be completed by 2028, at an estimated cost of $2 billion. Federal funding was promised by President Joe Biden, and the latest congressional spending bill included the financing for the bridge work to commence.

“The people of Maryland are grateful that Congress has strongly supported helping us rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge expeditiously,” said Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. “This action affirms the central importance of rebuilding the bridge not just to Maryland, but the nation.”