By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) announced on June 26 that demolition of the remaining structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge is expected to begin on or around July 7, depending on the weather conditions. This is a part of the larger effort to rebuild the bridge and have it finished and fully reopened by fall 2028.
According to MDTA, demolition is expected to take several months and will involve the use of heavy machinery to dismantle the remaining structure of the bridge.
“The process will begin with removal of bridge deck over the river, followed by demolition of sections over Hawkins Point and then Sollers Point,” said MDTA via the news release on June 26. “This phase of work focuses on removing portions of the existing structure that interfere with the alignment of the new bridge. Controlled detonations will not be used during this phase of demolition.”
What nearby communities can expect:
- Active tug and barge operations on the river, with heavy equipment and trucks visible on the existing bridge structure.
- Barges will serve as protective shielding during demolition and must be avoided by waterway users.
- Machinery may include excavators, concrete saws, vacuums, cranes and trucks.
- An on-site concrete crusher will recycle materials for haul roads and staging areas, reducing truck trips and cost.
- Noise typical of large construction projects from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Buoys will mark a safety zone, no entry area around active work areas.
MDTA assured that as demolition activities proceed through the summer, they will remain in conversation with local communities to ensure limited interruptions, safe conditions and transparency.
Those protective measures include installing noise and vibration monitoring equipment in nearby communities to capture data before the start of demolition and upcoming construction activities, installing waterway notices to make known speed restrictions and safety zones, and timely updates and advance notices for any work that may impact nearby communities or roads.
Pre-construction work began on Jan. 8 to support the rebuilding of the Key Bridge, which included geotechnical investigations, surveys and mapping and property inspections.
Gloria Nelson, president of the Turner Station Conservation Teams, has repeatedly expressed how MDTA and partnering agencies are consistent with keeping the community informed and addressing concerns regarding the demolition.
“The home inspections have occurred,” said Nelson in an interview with the AFRO in March. “The Francis Scott Key Bridge Rebuild Team has been intentional and transparent. If we have issues and concerns they’re open to listen and try to meet our needs. Any additional explanation we may need they provide. They are at our food distribution sites, community meetings trying to get information out to the public.”
Turner Station is a historic Black neighborhood in Dundalk, Md., which at one time had 10,000 residents and all of the resources they needed to succeed, such as convenience stores, a theater and schools.
Throughout this rebuilding process, Nelson hopes the community will continue to have “a seat at the table” regarding how their community is impacted by the absence of the Key Bridge and other compounding issues the community has been working to resolve over the years.
“When the bridge goes back up we want the state to have to do air monitoring,” said Nelson. “A portion of I-695 stretches over the community. We’re talking about some kind of wall barrier to help deflate the truck traffic, because it is very noisy.”
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