When will the Key Bridge be completed — and what will it look like?

Although the state of Maryland is currently seeking a new contractor to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge, officials said they still expect to complete the project by the target date.

Here’s what we know about the Baltimore bridge’s completion schedule:

When will the Francis Scott Key Bridge be completed?

Maryland Transportation Authority Initially, the new bridge was aimed to open in the autumn of 2028, but this date was later postponed.

Two years into the rebuilding, officials say the project is only 70% designed, pushing the opening toward late 2030, marking a two-year delay from the state’s original post-collapse projection.

The revised timeline takes into account ongoing engineering work on the bridge’s final design, as well as updated cost estimates and construction logistics at the busy Baltimore port.

“Recent preconstruction activities, updated data points and design that were not available in the days following the bridge collapse were used to inform MDTA of the project’s updated estimated cost and schedule.” MDTA.

MDTA Secretary Katie Thomson He said last month the department was “working extremely quickly” to ensure the project was completed by 2030.

What will the new Francis Scott Key Bridge look like?

New Francis Scott Key Bridge designed as a modern, suspended structure that will extend more than two miles along the Patapsco River.

The length of the structure is 11,015 feet and approximately 98,000 square meters of concrete will be used for the surface.

It will have two main towers, each rising more than 600 feet above the water, to support the middle section of the bridge. The design includes a significantly higher clearance over the shipping channel to allow larger, more modern cargo ships to pass safely underneath.

Officials say the structure was built to meet updated engineering and safety standards for major sea corridors and provide stronger protection against ship attack than the original bridge.

It is also intended to be a long-term replacement and a service life of approximately 100 years is anticipated.

Gov. Wes Moore called the project a “triumph born of tragedy,” while Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller said the project would serve as “a symbol of freedom connecting people to opportunity and each other.” WYPR reported.

This article first appeared on USA TODAY: What to know about the design and timeline of the Maryland Key Bridge