Maryland lawmakers say coming bill will clarify that feds fully pay for replacing Baltimore bridge

WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of Maryland’s congressional delegation announced Tuesday they will soon introduce a bill that will make clear the federal government will fully cover the cost of rebuilding Baltimore’s collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge.

The federal government generally picks up 90% of the tab and the state 10% when replacing disaster-damaged interstate highways and bridges, but exceptions have occurred in similar emergency cases, said Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., after lawmakers attended a closed-door briefing on cleanup efforts. The legislation will also make clear that any money recovered from third parties will be used to reimburse federal taxpayers.

“The fundamental issue right now is passing legislation to clarify that this is 100% a federal responsibility,” Cardin said.

Officials said it’s unclear how much money will be required to replace the bridge, which collapsed last month after it was struck by a cargo ship. Some experts estimate recovery will take at least 18 months and cost $400 million. But Cardin said the final tab will depend upon the design of the bridge and the modern technologies included to accommodate far more barge traffic than was originally envisioned when the bridge was built in the 1970s.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the Biden administration expects that federal taxpayers will eventually be made whole for replacing the bridge, but that may take a while.

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