Maryland Secures Emergency Contract for Bridge Debris Removal

The Maryland board, led by Gov. Wes Moore, has approved a $50.3 million emergency contract with Swedish construction firm Skanska USA to clear debris from the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. While speaking against the no-bid contract, Marshall Brown cited procurement fairness. Gov. Moore emphasized the necessity due to economic impacts.

The Maryland board, led by Gov. Wes Moore, has sanctioned a $50.3 million emergency contract to a Swedish construction firm, Skanska USA, for removing debris resultant from the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers managed debris removal from the federal channel in the Patapsco River, while Maryland inked an emergency pact with Skanska Inc. to clear other navigation channels. This clearance allows commercial and salvage vessels to operate post-collapse. Skanska, noted for successfully demolishing the Nice/Middleton Bridge across the Potomac River, was deemed apt for this urgent task.

During a Board of Public Works meeting, Marshall Brown from the Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust in the Mid-Atlantic Region contested the contract, arguing Maryland had ample time to consider numerous competent contractors. According to him, the emergency no-bid contract undermines the state's fair, competitive, and transparent procurement process. However, Bruce Gartner, the Maryland Transportation Authority's executive director, defended the decision, stressing the engineers' expert judgment during the emergency. He noted that competitive bidding would have delayed debris clearance by at least eight months.

Gov. Wes Moore emphasized the bridge's critical role in Maryland's and the national economy, acknowledging the Biden administration's 100% federal cost share for reconstruction. Estimated between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, the new bridge project is targeted for completion by fall 2028.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)