Maryland
Maryland awards contract for Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild after deadly collapse
BALTIMORE (AP) — Maryland transportation leaders on Thursday approved a contract for rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge several months after the 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) steel span collapsed under the impact of a massive container ship that lost power and crashed into one of its supporting columns.
In the immediate aftermath of the deadly March 26 collapse, officials quickly promised to rebuild the bridge — a longstanding Baltimore landmark and vital piece of transportation infrastructure.
They cited a 2028 completion date and estimated the project would cost $1.7 billion and would include significantly more pier protection to better defend against future wayward ships.
At a monthly meeting Thursday morning, the Maryland Transportation Authority board awarded a $73 million contract for the first phase of the project to Kiewit Infrastructure, which calls itself “one of North America’s largest and most respected engineering and construction organizations.”
Bruce Gartner, executive director of the Maryland Transportation Authority, said the contract award signifies a big step forward in the recovery and rebuild process.
“This really represents such an order of magnitude bigger than all our previous milestones,” he said in an interview Thursday. He said the agency hopes to release renderings of a preliminary design within the next few months, which will give the public an idea of what the new bridge will look like.
Kiewit was founded in 1884 to provide masonry services in Omaha, Nebraska, according to its website. Its notable past projects include the Fort McHenry Tunnel under Baltimore’s harbor, which opened in 1985. More drivers have been using the tunnel since the bridge collapse eliminated one of three water crossings that allowed them to bypass downtown Baltimore.
Gartner said the state has worked with Kiewit before and that the company has managed construction of major water crossings with maritime activity similar to the Key Bridge.
“We look forward to partnering with the Maryland Transportation Authority, many local subcontractors and suppliers, and our strong craft workforce to safely deliver and restore this vital transportation link in the city of Baltimore and the greater region,” the company said in a statement Thursday.
In announcing their recommendation to the board, state transportation officials said the company’s proposal was ranked first for its technical contents despite being somewhat more expensive than others.
Officials said the project will advance in two phases, with the first focusing on the design work and other necessary steps before construction begins, which could include demolition of the remaining pieces of the bridge that are still standing. Phase one is expected to be completed within a year.
Kiewit will have “exclusive negotiating rights” for the second phase, transportation officials said in a statement following the board meeting. “In the event a guaranteed maximum price is not agreed upon, the MDTA will deliver the work under a separate contracting mechanism,” the statement read.
Officials have said the new bridge will be somewhat taller than the old one to accommodate ever-larger ships entering Baltimore’s harbor. The original Key Bridge took five years to construct and opened in 1977.
The March bridge collapse killed six members of a road work crew who were filling potholes on the bridge when it came crashing down into the water below. Baltimore’s busy port was closed for months after the collapse and increased traffic congestion in the region remains a problem for drivers.
An FBI investigation is ongoing into the circumstances leading up to the collapse, including power outages experienced by the cargo ship Dali while it was still docked in Baltimore.
The state transportation board also on Thursday approved a proposal to remit the proceeds from a recent $350 million insurance payout to the federal government. They called the decision a show of good faith as discussions continue about whether the federal government will cover 100% of the cleanup and rebuilding costs. Chubb, the company that insured the bridge, made the $350 million payout to the state, officials said this week.
Ongoing litigation will ultimately determine other assignments of liability in the bridge collapse, which could become one of the most expensive maritime disasters in U.S. history.
Impacted businesses have joined Baltimore’s mayor and city council in filing claims arguing the owner and manager of the Dali should have to pay damages. Underwood Energy, a Baltimore-based company that transports hazardous materials, filed a new claim Thursday based on revenue losses associated with the bridge collapse. Hazmat trucks are not allowed in two tunnels under the Baltimore harbor, so those vehicles “now must make a 30-mile detour to cross the Patapsco River,” the complaint says.
The federal government generally picks up 90% of the tab and the state 10% when replacing disaster-damaged interstate highways and bridges, but the Biden administration and members of Maryland’s congressional delegation are pushing congressional lawmakers to approve a 100% reimbursement.
Officials have said they expect that federal taxpayers will eventually be made whole for replacing the bridge through insurance payouts and damages, but that may take a while.
___
Associated Press writer Brian Witte contributed from Annapolis.
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Maryland
Maryland Supreme Court reinstates Adnan Syed murder conviction, orders new hearing
BALTIMORE— Maryland’s Supreme Court has upheld an appellate court’s decision to reinstate the murder conviction of Adnan Syed, whose case gained national attention in 2014 when it was featured on the first season of the “Serial” podcast.
The ruling says the case should be sent back to a lower court for a new hearing on whether it should be thrown out entirely. The decision reverses a lower court’s ruling that had cleared Syed’s name two years ago.
Syed had served more than 20 years for the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee.
He was freed from prison in September 2022 after Baltimore prosecutors found flaws in the evidence presented at trial and a judge agreed to vacate his conviction.
However, Lee’s relatives appealed the decision, contending they didn’t receive sufficient notice to attend the hearing that set Syed free. In March 2023, the Maryland Appellate Court agreed and reinstated Syed’s conviction and ordered a redo of the hearing.
Syed appealed that ruling, bringing the matter to the Maryland Supreme Court. Friday’s ruling comes 11 months after arguments were made.
Justices found the circuit court violated the rights of Young Lee, Hae Min Lee’s brother.
“In an effort to remedy what they perceived to be an injustice to Mr. Syed, the prosecutor and the Circuit Court worked an injustice against Mr. Lee,” the court said.
Syed will remain free until the next hearing which has not been scheduled. The Supreme Court ordered the Lee family must have sufficient notice of the new hearing and a new judge must preside.
“If there’s actually evidence presented that shows that Adnan Syed should not have been convicted, we would be the first ones to congratulate Adnan Syed and argue he should be a free man,” said David Sanford, the attorney for the Lee family. “That hasn’t happened yet.”
In their dissenting opinions, several justices wrote when the case was vacated, any appeal by Young Lee should’ve been rendered moot. Those justices also argued there aren’t any specific victims’ rights that would require Young Lee be allowed to be present at that 2022 hearing.
Syed’s lawyer Erica Suter said that while they disagree with the ruling, the Lee family’s pain in this isn’t lost on them.
“Wrongful convictions devastate the wrongly accused, their family and the family of the victim,” Suter said. “Reinstating Adnan’s wrongful conviction does not provide justice or closure.”
Rabia Chaudry, Syed’s friend and advocate, went on Instagram Live to affirm that she will do what she can to keep Syed a free man.
“I will never not fight for his freedom and I know there are others, also, in his life who will never not fight for his freedom,” Chaudry said.
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Maryland
Maryland weather: Rain chances to end the workweek
![Maryland weather: Rain chances to end the workweek Maryland weather: Rain chances to end the workweek](https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2024/08/30/144d4861-b325-4126-9003-b6d36a0407d0/thumbnail/1200x630/79694e93490f5049e0ebf130a093da1e/7-day.jpg?v=25685eaa472b1a5dbb5bd46ae506d232)
BALTIMORE – Overnight expect cloudy weather with patchy mist, drizzle, and fog. Lows will be in the upper 60s.
Friday will not be the best start to the Labor Day weekend. We’ll see an easterly wind with plenty of clouds, scattered sprinkles and showers, and at times occasional drizzle. High temperatures area-wide will stay in the 70s with the coolest highs across Cecil and Harford counties where high temperatures will only reach the lower 70s.
A few more showers are possible as the back door cold front lifts north as a warm front Friday night into early Saturday.
Saturday looks very warm and muggy. Low clouds will break for at least slivers of sunshine. Highs will climb into the middle to upper 80s. Scattered strong storms are possible late Saturday afternoon, but especially Saturday evening. If we get enough sunshine, some storms could be severe with a damaging wind threat into the night.
Sunday we’ll see a few more scattered storms as the front slowly sinks south. The day won’t be a washout, but plan on a possible hit or miss shower or thunderstorm.
Labor Day will be the winner of the holiday weekend with mostly sunny weather, low humidity, and highs near 80°.
High pressure will control our weather and bring in another refreshing Canadian airmass Tuesday through Thursday. High temperatures will only reach the middle to upper 70s with low temperatures dipping back down into the 50s. We stay dry through the end of next week!
Maryland
Maryland begins the post-Tagovailoa era against a UConn team laden with newcomers
UConn at Maryland, Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (FS1)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Maryland by 20 1/2.
Series record: Maryland leads 2-1.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Maryland must replace standout quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa after he gave the Terrapins several years of stability at the position. Billy Edwards Jr., MJ Morris and Cameron Edge are candidates to step in. UConn enters its third season under coach Jim Mora. He’s 9-16 so far. The Huskies are one of a small number of major college football independents, and there’s talk of the program joining the Big 12 eventually. So the progress — or lack thereof — for UConn football may be under a significant microscope this year.
KEY MATCHUP
Maryland’s defense against a UConn team with plenty of new faces. The Terps’ defense seems like the closest thing to a known commodity in this game after Maryland held opponents to just 22.5 points per game last season. The Huskies, meanwhile, added 51 new players to the roster since the end of the 2023 season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
UConn: QB Nick Evers started his career at Oklahoma and was with Wisconsin before transferring to the Huskies. He has three years of eligibility and is pretty much a blank slate, having appeared in only one college game.
Maryland: RB Roman Hemby ran for nearly 1,000 yards in 2022 and then produced 680 on the ground last season. He’s also capable of contributing as a pass catcher.
FACTS & FIGURES
Maryland has won a bowl game in three straight seasons for the first time. That’s part of the reason the Terps have now won 12 straight nonconference games overall. … UConn OL Chase Lundt was picked for the 2025 Senior Bowl watch list. … The Terps have allowed progressively fewer points per game since 2019: 34.7, 32.0, 30.7, 23.2 and 22.5. … This is UConn’s lone scheduled game this season against the Big Ten.
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