Maryland finalizes $2.25 billion settlement with owners, operators of ship in Key Bridge collapse
Maryland has reached a final settlement with the owners and operators of the container ship Dali, which collided with Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse in 2024.
The announcement of the finalized $2.25 billion settlement with Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. comes hours after federal prosecutors charged the operator of the ship, Synergy, and an employee with conspiracy, obstruction and violating the Ports and Waterways Safety Act.
Six construction workers died after the bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River on March 26, 2024. The incident also halted traffic in the area for months and prompted supply chain issues due to the closure of the channel.
The settlement resolves the state's claims against the companies related to its collision with the Key Bridge. However, it does not cover the state's claims against the shipbuilder, Hyundai Heavy Industries.
"The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sent shockwaves through Maryland and caused damage on a scale this State had never seen," said Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown. "This $2.25 billion settlement reflects the full measure of accountability we were able to secure from the vessel interests -- and our pursuit of justice is not finished."
The state was seeking damages for the destruction of the bridge, the harm to the environment, lost revenue from tolls and other economic losses.
Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine attempted to cap their liability at $43.7 million by using the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851, the Attorney General said. However, the cap would have only covered a small portion of the losses caused by the collapse of the bridge, AG Brown said.
Investigations into Key Bridge collapse
According to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation, the ship Dali lost power at least four times in the hours before the collision.
NTSB blamed the outages on a loose wire, saying a thermal scanner that could have detected the issue was not used during maintenance.
A federal indictment announced Tuesday claims the ship was using a flushing pump, which does not have redundancies, in violation of international law. The indictment alleges that using the proper pump would have allowed the ship to regain power and go under the bridge.
Rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge
Meanwhile, progress is ongoing in the effort to rebuild the Key Bridge.
In November 2025, the estimated cost of the project rose from $2 billion to between $4.3 and $5.2 billion, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), and the timeline to complete the project changed from fall 2028 to late 2030.
Officials said the timeline and cost changes were due to inflation and updated design prices.
In early May, the state dropped its contractor, Kiewit Infrastructure Co., due to high costs. U.S. Rep. Andy Harris revealed that the rebuild project under Kiewit could have cost $9 billion.
The state is now searching for new contractors for phase two of the project. The delays could push the completion date past 2030.
