Rebuilding Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge could cost more than $5 billion — more than double the $1.9 billion estimate Maryland officials outlined shortly after the crucial arterial span fell into the Patapsco River last year, two people engaged in the discussions told POLITICO.
That could give fresh fuel to President Donald Trump, who late last month flirted with yanking federal funding for the bridge after quarreling on social media with Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore — a potential presidential candidate — about the crime rate in Baltimore.
“I gave Wes Moore a lot of money to fix his demolished bridge. I will now have to rethink that decision???” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Asked about Trump’s comments soon after, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he was concerned about the federal government covering all of the bridge’s rebuilding costs, explaining that “if you go to dinner and someone else is buying, you might order the finest, most expensive steak on the menu.”
A spokesperson for DOT did not respond to a request for comment. The Maryland Transportation Authority did not respond to a request for comment. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Moore’s office did not respond to a request for comment. But at the time of Trump’s posting, Moore responded that Maryland officials “worked across the aisle to secure funding to rebuild this iconic bridge, an action that is written into law because of the leaders who put politics aside to make Baltimore whole again.”
