Genoa bridge rebuilder offers services for Baltimore restoration
WeBuild Group disclosed on Friday that they have already submitted a preliminary design and plans for the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore to US officials. This was done following the incident in late March when a cargo ship struck one of its pillars, leading to the loss of six construction workers' lives.
The company, with a US subsidiary, claims their proposed design would lead to a more secure bridge by expanding the shipping lanes, among other safety measures.
Carlo Ratti, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who aided in developing the proposed design, stated in the release, "This design will help prevent future incidents like the one that occurred on March 26."
Similar to the San Giorgio bridge in Italy, which had collapsed in August 2018, killing 43 people, this new design aims to avoid any reoccurrence of such tragedies. When one of the main pylons fell during mid-morning, it resulted in a 600-feet (183 meters) stretch of road collapsing onto railway tracks and buildings below, causing a mass evacuation of people.
WeBuild Group was one of the companies that built the San Giorgio bridge in just 15 months to replace the fallen Morandi bridge, completed in 2020 for a total cost of €290 million ($312 million), which included the expenses of dealing with the wreckage of the collapsed bridge.
The Maryland Transportation Authority is set to announce formal invitations for proposals to reconstruct the bridge by the end of May. It is responsible for financing revenue-generating transportation projects within the state, as per their Facebook page.
Substantial rebuilding costs
The Key Bridge, also recognized as Baltimore's bridge, was a crucial artery for vehicles heading into the Port of Baltimore, an essential spot for the import and export of commodities, vehicles, and other goods. An estimated 35,000 cars and trucks used the bridge daily before its collapse in March, which led to the temporary closure of significant parts of the port's operations. However, four temporary channels have now opened, allowing some ship traffic to restart.
President Joe Biden offered support from the federal government for the recovery efforts and declared that the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge would be covered by the federal government. "I've instructed my team to do everything possible to restore the port and rebuild the bridge as quickly as feasible," he asserted.
The Maryland Department of Transportation has estimated that rebuilding the Key Bridge will cost between $1.7 and $1.9 billion, with a targeted completion time in the fall of 2028. The authority didn't promptly reply to a CNN query regarding the estimated amount and project completion date.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
