Duffy Raises DEI Contract, Cost Concerns for Baltimore Bridge
Replacement Cost Estimates Are Pegged at $1.7 Billion With a Completion Year of 2028
Rendering of the replacement of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, with downtown Baltimore on the left and the Port of Baltimore on the right. (Office of the Governor of Maryland via Associated Press)
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is raising concerns about Maryland’s oversight in replacing the Francis Scott Key Bridge and increasing costs for the federally funded project.
Duffy outlined the Trump administration’s goal to replace the Baltimore bridge as “a model of how to build quickly and cost effectively” in a letter sent Sept. 18 to Gov. Wes Moore. The bridge collapsed in March 2024 after being struck by a containership.
“It is my role to guarantee that federally funded projects benefit the entire nation through every dollar spent. When a state partners with DOT on major infrastructure projects like the FSK Bridge, it partners with the American people,” Duffy’s letter stated.
The bridge replacement will be fully paid for through a federal disaster relief package passed by the Biden administration.
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This year, replacement cost estimates were pegged at $1.7 billion with a completion year of 2028. Duffy’s letter noted the Department of Transportation “will provide oversight to ensure the funds are used appropriately.” He noted that DOT aims to look at the effective management and monitoring of both estimated and actual project scope, costs and schedule. At the same time, DOT remains committed to ensuring “the traffic capacity needs of the new bridge” are maintained.
A major concern Duffy highlighted in the letter is whether the Maryland Department of Transportation plans to award project contracts based on “the race or sex of contractors.” If so, Maryland could incur “significant legal vulnerabilities and inefficiencies” in project management, he wrote.
“The DOT has determined that the race- and sex-based ‘presumptions’ of disadvantage in DOT’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program are inconsistent with these principles, and it has asked a federal district court to declare those presumptions unconstitutional,” the letter stated. Duffy also pointed to his April 25 “Follow the Law” directive to all DOT funding recipients about the U.S. Constitution prohibiting state and federal governmental officials from discriminating based on protected characteristics like race and sex.
“It’s my job to ensure the American people’s tax dollars are spent properly and major projects are completed on time and on budget,” Duffy announced the day after sending the letter to Moore. “DEI contracting practices and ballooning project costs are already threatening to delay this critical project. We will leverage our oversight authorities to ensure this vital bridge is rebuilt the right way.”
“The Port of Baltimore handles more cars and more farm equipment than any other port in the country," wrote Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. (Nathan Howard/Bloomberg)
Moore by noting Maryland officials “have worked expeditiously to promote full restoration of the bridge as a critical asset to our nation’s economy. Today, the project continues in the design phase, with demolition and pre-construction underway in parallel.” He underscored Maryland’s commitment to “sound stewardship” of taxpayer funds and bridge safety are top priorities while not addressing Duffy’s topic about DEI in state contract awards.
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“We will continue to work with the Trump administration to find ways to reduce costs and rebuild faster. We anticipate the price estimation process to be finalized in the coming months,” Moore said Sept. 19. “We will continue to pursue litigation and make substantial financial contributions by way of advance construction costs and insurance settlement dollars to keep the project moving” while adding that MDOT will provide regular project updates. Maryland has a website called keybridgerebuild.com that is devoted to public updates on the project.
Ongoing demolition work, which began in June, is taking place using heavy machinery to dismantle the remaining Key Bridge sections for the next few months. The design concept of the bridge was unveiled in February with next steps being final design and regulatory approvals before construction.
“We must keep in perspective that 13% of our state’s economy hangs in the balance and that the goods that flow through the port don’t just touch Marylanders — they reach the farmer in Kentucky, the auto worker in Michigan and the restaurant owner in Tennessee,” Moore said. “The Port of Baltimore handles more cars and more farm equipment than any other port in the country. The port is also ranked second for salt and exported coal and is among the top 10 ports nationally for total cargo.”
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