Marketplace All-in-One The tech transforming Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge
Mar 26, 2026
Jim Harkness, chief engineer overseeing the new Francis Scott Key Bridge, explains the high-tech rebuild. He discusses sensors and real-time structural monitoring. He covers elevator and access features in the 600-foot towers. He highlights design changes to handle heavier port traffic and how live data will guide maintenance and capacity decisions.
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Bridge Will Monitor Its Own Structural Health
- The rebuilt Francis Scott Key Bridge will be a higher, longer cable-stayed span over two miles designed with structural health monitoring.
- Sensors on key structural members will provide data to compare with computational models to track real-time performance.
Onsite Scene Of Active Reconstruction
- Jim Harkness described the construction site bustle with tugboats, barges and cranes moving metal for the new span.
- He emphasized the new bridge will be higher, longer and span over two miles compared with the 1970s Key Bridge.
Towers Include Elevators For Direct Maintenance Access
- The new bridge includes 600-foot towers with mechanical systems and elevators to enable direct inspection and maintenance access.
- Elevators let crews reach cable anchor zones inside the pylons for hands-on inspection and repairs.