ENTRE News – Experts predict that the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, will take at least 18 months to be rebuilt after it collapsed when it was hit by a cargo ship. Meanwhile, the costs require around hundreds of millions of US dollars or more.
It all depends on factors that are largely unknown. Everything from the design of a new bridge to how quickly the government can navigate the bureaucracy of approving permits and awarding contracts.
Johns Hopkins University engineering professor Ben Schafer said realistically, the project could take five to seven years. Meanwhile, Professor of Engineering at George Washington University, Sameh Badie, said this project could take at least 18 months to two years.
Badie estimates the cost will be between US$500 million (equivalent to Rp. 7.9 trillion) to US$1 billion (equivalent to Rp. 15.8 trillion), with the biggest variable being the design. For example, a suspension bridge like the Golden Gate in San Francisco will be more expensive than a bridge like the Skyway Sunshine Bridge in Florida.
He explained that whatever is built, steel is currently expensive and there is still a backlog for I-beams. He also highlighted the limited number of construction companies that can handle this kind of project because they are busy doing other work.
“Projects like this will be accelerated, so everything will cost more,” said Badie.
Engineering professor at West Virginia University, Hota GangaRao FOR4D, even said that this project would only cost US$400 million.
But that is only if the old bridge pier foundations are used; the designer may want to place the new supports further from the shipping lane to avoid another collision.
“It will require more steel, more complicated construction, and more checks and balances,” GangaRao said. He added, “It all adds up,”.
University of New Orleans engineering professor emeritus Norma Jean Mattei said replacing the bridge will likely take several years. Even if this is a priority, the process of designing the span, obtaining permits, and recruiting contractors takes a lot of time. And, then the construction time.
“It is quite a long process to actually operate this type of bridge,” he said as quoted by The Independent.
American Highway and Transportation Association executive director Jim Tymon cited the case of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minnesota that collapsed into the Mississippi River in 2007. The new span was recorded as being completed in less than 14 months. Tymon considers this case to be the best comparison with the Francis Scott Key Bridge case.
“They did a fantastic job in getting the necessary approvals to be able to rebuild it as quickly as possible,” Tymon said.
Tymon expects various government agencies to work together to promote licensing, the environment and more. One of the problems faced is the source of funding. US President Joe Biden has repeatedly said that the federal government will finance the construction of the new bridge. However, this still needs to be looked into further.
“Hopefully Congress can come together to provide those resources as soon as possible, so that this doesn’t cause delays,” Tymon said.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar helped raise funds quickly to rebuild the Interstate 35W bridge in her state. However, he thinks rebuilding the Baltimore Bridge could be more complicated.
He noted that the Interstate 35W bridge is a much busier highway with about 140,000 vehicles crossing each day, compared to about 31,000 vehicles crossing the Maryland bridge.
“But if there’s a will there’s a way, and you can get emergency funds,” Klobuchar FOR4D said.
“This happens all over the country when disaster strikes. And the fact that this is a large port also makes it worth making sure that all of these things are addressed,” he explained bandar togel.