An Italian industrial company has released its design of a structure that may replace the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland.
WeBuild Group sent preliminary design plans to Maryland officials on May 3 for the reconstruction of the Baltimore bridge following its destruction on March 26 which resulted in the deaths of six construction workers.
According to the company’s press release, the project is ‘a new, safe and innovative cable-stayed bridge’ that its employees presented to state officials pro bono.
‘We at Webuild and our US subsidiary Lane are ready to make ourselves available to quickly restore this strategic bridge for local mobility,’ said WeBuild CEO Pietro Salini in a letter.
‘The design concept of the bridge that we have been working on incessantly during this last month will represent a key contribution towards the design and reconstruction or new construction of the bridge.’
Maryland officials are beginning to contact engineering firms, and the potential four-year project could cost up to $1.9 billion.
WeBuild Group sent preliminary design plans to Maryland officials on May 3 of a structure that will replace the Francis Scott Key Bridge after it collapsed on March 26. Pictured: The renderings
The Italian company is working to create ‘a new, safe and innovative cable-stayed bridge’ and it will be doing this pro bono. Pictured: The renderings
Maryland officials are contacting other engineering firms and the potential four-year project could cost up to $1.9 billion. Pictured: The renderings
Named after the man who wrote the Star Spangled Banner, the Francis Scott Key Bridge first opened in March 1977.
Construction began in 1972, and its estimated cost was $110 million.
The new structure’s design is unlike the Francis Scott Key Bridge, WeBuild confirmed that it would be safer.
WeBuild also indicated in its press release that it would go into this reconstruction process as it did during the Genoa Bridge reconstruction.
‘We are aware of the importance of this infrastructure from a logistical and commercial point of view, with more than 1.4 million local residents and tens of thousands of commuters directly affected by the collapse of the bridge,’ said Salini.
‘We previously fielded our expertise on the occasion of the tragic collapse of the Genoa Bridge in Italy in 2018 (made at cost without profit for the group), which resulted in the death of 43 people.’
The company added that its workers would participate in the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA)’s Virtual Industry Forum on May 7.
One of the many features that WeBuild will implement into the design is a wider carriageway for cargo ships.
Pictured: The destruction following the cargo ship’s hit
The new structure’s design is unlike the Francis Scott Key Bridge, WeBuild confirmed that it would be safer. Pictured: The crumbled bridge
The original bridge, which was named after the man who wrote the Star Spangled Banner, opened in March 1977 after five years of construction
It collapsed on March 26 after a cargo ship lost control and crashed into the bridge. This incident led to the deaths of six construction workers
WeBuild announced in their press release that the structure would be a cable-stayed bridge that aims to improve safety, adaptability, and sustainability.
With its wider carriageway, it is assumed that the navigable clearance for a ship will be 213 feet and be enlarged to around 2,300 feet.
The bridge would also be constructed with sustainable materials and include smart features that enable safer traffic management and predictive maintenance techniques.
‘Opting for a cable-stayed solution enables the piles to be positioned at a safe distance, well away from the navigation channel used by large vessels and hence preventing the risk of a tragedy,’ said Professor Carlo Ratti in the press release.
‘This approach also provides a lightweight solution to reconnect two sides of Baltimore, both socially and economically – what American infrastructure should be striving to do in the 21st century.’
If the bridge reconstruction process goes as planned, then the new structure should be ready and usable by the fall of 2028.