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Dive brief:
- The Maryland Transportation Authority issued a request for qualifications for the construction of the main span and marine approaches of the Francis Scott Key Bridgeaccording to a July 21 statement.
- According to the MDTA, the RFQ launches the competitive, two-step sealed proposal process to select a design-build team for the contract.
- Interested teams can access the official RFQ document at eMaryland Marketplace Advantageaccording to the statement. To be considered for the second step of recruitment, applicants must submit a statement of qualifications by August 19.
Diving knowledge:
The hiring follows the MDTA’s May 19 announcement that it would split the Reconstruction of Key Bridge in four contractssaid Bruce Gartner, MDTA’s executive director, in the press release.
Ongoing construction activities will continue along with the RFQ, he added. For example, crews are currently installing the permanent foundation piles and trestle.
The procurement is the largest of four contracts in the key bridge reconstruction project, according to the release. The main contract for crossing bridges and marine approaches includes:
- Construction of a cable-stayed bridge with a main span of 1,665 feet and an overall length of 3,365 feet
- Two concrete pylons reaching a height of 602 feet
- A ship collision protection system at the piers of the main pylons
- About 660 feet of south approach bridge over water
- About 1,560 feet of north approach bridge over water
“Maryland is working quickly to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge and this step is the first major milestone in assembling our construction team,” Maryland Transportation Secretary and MDTA Board Chair Katie Thomson said in the statement.
The MDTA will announce a shortlist of candidates later in the fall and a project notice to proceed in the summer of 2027, according to the release. In addition to the main bridge and marine approaches contract, the state agency expects to announce the following procurements for other key bridge reconstruction work:
- The demolition of the remaining structures on the water and various maritime works
- The construction of the southern land approach
- The construction of the northern land approach
