Neighbors worried Baltimore's Key Bridge rebuild could take longer after contractor dropped

A pleasant lunch hour at Squire's Restaurant in Dundalk, constantly interrupted by loud trucks and tractor-trailers passing through.

Owner Bob Romiti told CBS News Baltimore that it has been that way every single day for the last 25 months, since Holabird Avenue became a popular alternate route following the 2024 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

"They make a lot of noise, especially if they're empty; they hit these bumps and rattle like crazy," Romiti said. "When they're pulling a heavy load, it will shake my building like an earthquake."

Romiti said this, combined with backed-up traffic and a less direct route, has led to fewer customers coming to his restaurant.

Now, following Tuesday's announcement that the state is seeking a new contractor to complete the rebuild project, Romiti is even more frustrated. The Maryland Transportation Authority dropped Kiewit as a contractor in an effort to seek lower costs and shorten the timeline.

"It doesn't surprise me one bit because nobody is steering the ship," Romiti said.

In a UMBC poll released on Wednesday, 76% of Baltimore City residents and 84% of Baltimore County residents say the collapse of the Key Bridge has had a great deal or some impact on their lives. Meanwhile, 44% of city residents and 55% of Baltimore County residents say they are not confident the bridge will be rebuilt by 2030.

"It's going to take longer than expected"

Those same frustrations are felt by customers inside the restaurant, like Frank and JoAnn Hughes, who live in Old Dundalk.

"I just don't understand why it's taking as long as it did," Frank Hughes said. "95 in Philadelphia collapsed, and they said it was going to take six to eight months to get it back together. It took 10 days, and it was back in operation. Why are we taking so long with this?"

"It's just going to take longer than expected, and who knows what it's going to look like after, and we don't know who is going to be the contractor. And it is a big concern," added JoAnn Hughes.

They say the traffic in their neighborhood has been a nightmare, and the roads are destroyed because of the heavy trucks forced to come through.

They're worried the search for a new contractor will just further hold up the project.

"I'm 86 and JoAnn is 89, we hope we live long enough to see the Key Bridge reopen and be able to drive across it," Frank Hughes said.

While Romiti said there's nothing he can do but wait it out, he has a message for the people in charge.

"Get people in there that know what they're doing and get it going and get it done," Romiti said. "Don't be playing politics with this thing, it's crazy."

As many as 35,000 vehicles crossed the Key Bridge every day before its collapse.