How long does it take to replace a key bridge in America? If the bridge is the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, the answer is more than four years. At least.

Crews are finally starting to demolish the remaining structures of the Key Bridge 16 months after a portion of it collapsed when a ship ran into it. The Maryland Transportation Authority is calling the planned operation a “major milestone” even as a replacement bridge is years away from completion.

Demolition work on the sections being removed is expected to take several months because crews are dismantling the remaining roadway over the river before removing the beams and piers that held it up.

Transportation officials say no detonations will be used during this phase of demolition.

Construction of a new bridge is awaiting modifications to permits due to the alignment being shifted slightly east of the original structure.

The container ship Dali hit the bridge in March 2024 shortly after leaving the Port of Baltimore. The main span of the bridge plummeted into the Patapsco River, killing six people.

Pre-construction work began in January and the first test pile is scheduled to begin this summer and continue through the fall.

The MDTA hopes to have the new $2 billion bridge completed in 2028. The new bridge will be 45 feet taller to better accommodate ship traffic.

A lawsuit aims to seek reimbursement from the Dali’s owner and manager for the cost of all of the damages caused by the bridge strike and construction of the replacement bridge. Congress has agreed to pay for 100 percent of the bridge costs subject to any compensation paid by the ship’s owners.

Since the collapse of the bridge, thousands of Baltimore-area drivers are experiencing longer commute times and extended rush-hour periods. 
Some online commenters are complaining about the amount of time that the rebuild is taking. One X user mockingly claimed that China would have built 10 bridges already. Another person noted that the Empire State Building was built in just over a year, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris took two years and two months to complete. The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco took just over four years to complete.