Interns will help reconstruct Baltimore’s iconic Key Bridge this summer

A new paid internship program, set to begin this summer, will allow select college students to work on the reconstruction of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed last year.

The program, which was announced Monday, is the result of a partnership between The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) and the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). Interns will be hired as temporary state employees and get hands-on experience in areas like project management, environmental and construction management, as well as community outreach activities for the historic project. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible. 

“The goal of the internship program is to strengthen collaboration skills among interns, foster community engagement, and help students build professional networks that will serve them well in their future careers,” Maryland Transportation Secretary and MDTA Chairman Paul J. Wiedefeld said in the announcement.

The unique internship opportunity is fairly selective. More than 80 students from the University of Maryland College Park, Morgan State University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, and Johns Hopkins University applied for the inaugural session. Only 10 were selected. Those interns will work alongside engineers and other experts involved in the construction from June through August 2025.

As the Key Bridge project develops, the MDTA and MHEC plan to continue bringing on more students to participate. Per the announcement, the internship program will run until construction is complete. The Maryland Department of Transportation, says the bridge could take four years to rebuild, and cost up to $1.9 billion.

Baltimore’s Key Bridge collapsed in March 2024 after a cargo ship lost power and slammed into the structure. Six construction workers, who were making repairs on the bridge at the time, died in the incident. The bridge, which took five years to build, opened in 1977. Around 34,000 vehicles crossed it every day in the years leading up to its collapse.

The new bridge will be taller than the original, to accommodate larger ships, and will have other structural improvements. The cable-stay design was released to the public in February.

“Maryland’s first cable-stayed bridge will rise, not just replacing what we lost, but revealing what we have found—strength and unity—in this state,” Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller said of the new design at the time. “We stand here today united stronger than ever before, ready to rebuild, ready to show the nation what Maryland is made of. . . . This bridge will stand as a beacon of perseverance.”

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