Expert says a new Francis Scott Key Bridge could be built in 2 to 3 years

MARYLAND (7News) — The Francis Scott Key Bridge and its collapse will continue to hamper supply routes across the nation. Until this week, it was the second-longest continuous truss bridge in the United States.

Billions of dollars of cargo in and out of the Port of Baltimore. Supply experts believe the direct effects of no bridge will be felt the most in the auto, machinery construction and coal industries.

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"A lot of families across the nation are looking at this bridge collapse and wondering if it's going to affect them buying a new car or getting a loaf of bread or a jar of peanut butter. What do you think is going to happen between now and when that bridge is going to be rebuilt?" asks 7 News I-Team Reporter Scott Taylor.

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"From the consumer side of things I would anticipate there likely is going to be stress on other ports that could indirectly affect other industries so it's hard to say what those might affect but the direct affect coming out of Baltimore from a consumer side I would say focuses on the auto side," said Carley Taslov , part of the Risk Advisory Services for Schneider Downs based in Pittsburgh.

The Key was a steel arch continuous through a truss bridge. Truss bridges extended without hinges or joints across three or more supports.

What type of bridge could replace the Key?

Dean Abbondanza, director of engineering with the Fields Company based out of Houston, Texas believes a cable-stayed bridge is the best fix.

It's the same type of bridge as the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa, Florida. It requires less cable and can be built much faster than suspension bridges.

"There are a dozen or so ways you can design a bridge. Looking at speed of construction, looking at functionality, looking at current technology, um the cable stays especially for this application are the go-to choice," added Dean Abbondanza, a Director of Engineering with the Fields Company.

"The construction time, what traditionally would take four to five years for the conventional bridge designs from a long time ago. That’s going to be greatly accelerated. This cable stay does as well," said Abbondanza.

It took 7 years to construct the Skyway Bridge, but after the tragic accident in 1980 that demolished part of the bridge, traffic was diverted onto the surviving two-lane span for several years.

The new Key Bridge could be built much faster especially if federal officials are in charge.

"I would say aggressively maybe two to three years we could have this bridge fully functioning," said Abbondanza.