The following article was submitted by Sixth District Delegate Bob Long about the delay and cost increase of the Key Bridge Rebuild.
As the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge moves forward, the moment demands one thing above all: unity. Now is the time for working together — not political sparring.
I was very upset to learn last week about the increased cost of the bridge, along with the news it will take until late 2030 to be completed. The stakes could not be higher than they are now.
Marylanders and more specifically those who live in District 6 rely greatly on that bridge for our lives. Each day that passes makes for deteriorating conditions on Dundalk roads and alternate routes.
Travel times have tripled, and patience is wearing thin within the community.
Originally the reconstruction was estimated to cost between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, with targeted reopening in 2028.
But as engineers advanced design and safety standards — including enhanced pier-protection measures to withstand another ship collision — combined with rising materials costs, the projected price tag has now ballooned to between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion, with a new anticipated completion date pushed to late 2030.
Against this backdrop, collaboration at every level — federal, state, local — is not optional. The bridge is much more than pieces of concrete and steel. It’s a lifeline for the region’s economy, a conduit for commerce, jobs, and families.
It’s infrastructure that serves not just one party or one city, but millions of Americans who rely on the flow of goods and the Port of Baltimore’s
continuing viability.
Despite that shared necessity, recent months have seen rising tensions between Governor Moore and President Trump.
Governor Moore’s feud threatens to undermine the spirit of cooperation critical to the completion of this project.
The friction leads me to believe that politicization could derail progress or jeopardize federal funding at a time when certainty and unity should guide every decision.
In times like these, leaders must choose statesmanship over showmanship. Marylanders deserve more than a political spectacle.
We deserve a bridge built bigger, better, and safer.
The rebuild of the Key Bridge must not become collateral damage in a culture of political conflict. Instead, let it stand as a testament to what true bipartisanship can achieve when leaders put people over politics.
